Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-27

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 7.0)

It is often observed that some people spend almost their entire lives living in the same area where they were born. While there are several reasons for this choice, I believe that staying in one place can provide both significant benefits and certain disadvantages.

There are various reasons why people prefer to remain close to their birthplace. Firstly, they may have strong emotional connections with their family, friends and local community. Living near loved ones allow them to receive emotional and practical support whenever necessary. Secondly, people may feel comfortable with their familiar surroundings, culture and lifestyle. For example, a person who lived in the same small town since childhood may have a stable job, a house and a well-established social network, making relocation unnecessary.

One major advantage of remaining in the same place is stability. People can maintain long-term relationships and participate actively in their communities. In addition, staying close to relatives can be particularly beneficial when family members become elderly and require assistance. However, there are also disadvantages. People who never move away may have fewer opportunities to experience different cultures and lifestyles. They may also miss better educational or employment opportunities available in other cities or countries. For instance, a younge graduate might have greater career prosprects if they are willing to relocate to a larger city.

In conclusion, people may choose to remain near their birthplace because of family ties, familiarity and financial or social stability.Although this lifestyle offers security and strong relationships, it an sometimes limit personal growth and career opportunities. Therefore, whether staying or moving is preferable largely depends on an individual's circumstances and priorities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. It investigates reasons why some people stay in their birthplace, such as strong emotional connections and familiarity, and explores both advantages (stability, family support) and disadvantages (limited exposure to other cultures, missed career opportunities). The position is clear throughout the text, and ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the mention of a younger graduate having greater career prospects by relocating. The writer demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt's requirements, meeting all expectations for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are presented coherently, with each paragraph having a distinct and clear focus. The introduction sets the tone, the second paragraph details reasons, the third outlines advantages and disadvantages, and the conclusion neatly summarises the main points. Cohesive devices are used effectively and with reasonable flexibility, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'However'. Paragraphing is managed logically and appropriately. Referencing is generally clear, contributing to the smooth overall flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, such as 'emotional connections', 'well-established social network', and 'personal growth'. There are some less common lexical items used with a good awareness of style and collocation. However, there are a few minor spelling and typographical errors, such as 'allow' instead of 'allows' (subject-verb agreement related to vocabulary context) and 'younge graduate' instead of 'young graduate', as well as a typo in 'prosprects'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as subordinate clauses ('a person who lived in the same small town since childhood may have...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, alongside a few minor grammatical errors, such as 'Living near loved ones allow them' (where 'allow' should be 'allows') and 'it an sometimes limit' (missing letter in 'can'). Punctuation is generally well-managed, though there is a missing space after a full stop before 'Although' in the final paragraph. Overall, the grammatical control is strong and communication is never impeded.

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