Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-22

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people spend most of their lives living close to where they were born.

What might be the reasons for this?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Many individuals spend their entire lives in their birthplace rather than moving elsewhere. This choice has several benefits and drawbacks; I will discuss both in the following paragraphs, with relevant examples from my expertise and experience.

To start with, the perks of living close to one's birthplace allow us to stay close to our family and relatives. It feels safe and convenient in your hometown. Moving to another country or city can be difficult for employment and social gatherings. For example, people who own a family business may prefer to stay in the same town rather than going out to find career opportunities. In addition, staying in one's hometown might be cheaper than other places. And you have better knowledge of your surroundings to look for schools, hospitals, restaurants, and other services.

However, despite all these perks, there is a darker side to staying in one's hometown. Firstly, small towns may not have enough career opportunities for personal growth. In town, salaries are low compared to those in urban areas. The biggest drawback is that people may have fewer chances to explore different cultures and lifestyles. To sum up, living in a small village has limited public services. For instance, a person who lives in a rural area may have limited access to hospitals, restaurants, and school facilities.

To conclude, people often remain near their birthplace because of family connections and comfort. Although this lifestyle provides strong relationships and a sense of security. However, it can limit career opportunities and exposure to new experiences.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing reasons for living close to one's birthplace as well as the advantages and disadvantages. The student presents a clear position throughout the essay. The reasons provided, such as family proximity, comfort, and financial savings, are relevant and extended with examples like owning a family business. However, some ideas feel slightly repetitive, particularly when discussing small towns and limited public services in the third paragraph, reflecting Band 6 descriptors where relevant ideas are presented but some parts of the task could be more fully and distinctly developed. Overall, the prompt requirements are adequately met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction to reasons, advantages, disadvantages, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To start with', 'In addition', 'However', and 'To conclude', although some linking feels a bit mechanical. There is a slight issue with paragraph cohesion in the final sentence of the conclusion, where a fragment is created: 'Although this lifestyle provides strong relationships and a sense of security. However, it can limit...' which disrupts the flow. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is generally clear enough to satisfy Band 6 requirements.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the student's ideas. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, such as 'darker side' and 'personal growth'. However, word choices and collocations occasionally show minor limitations or slight inaccuracies, such as 'perks of living close to one's birthplace allow us', which mixes pronouns slightly. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede understanding. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor, which highlights an adequate range and attempts at less common lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional and relative clauses ('people who own a family business', 'a person who lives in a rural area'). There are some noticeable grammatical errors and punctuation issues, most notably in the conclusion where a sentence fragment occurs ('Although this lifestyle provides strong relationships and a sense of security. However, it can limit...'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and the mix of structures supports clear communication. These characteristics place the response firmly at Band 6.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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