Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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)

It is indeed true that some folks spend a majority of their lives in the same city or town. There are several reasons they might be restricted to one locality such as a well-established family business. I believe there are many benefits to staying at the same place for years, but it also comes with several drawbacks.

The most common reason for residing in the same town, in my opinion, is business. Whether it be a local shopkeeper or a chef operating his own restaurant, both of these owners would avoid leaving the neighbourhood where they work. Similarly, if a person has close ties to the local governement, they will certainly avoid moving out.

To begin with the advantages, the biggest factor is familiarity. Moving to a new place brings a lot of uncertainties and can induce stress. If a person living in the United States, for example, moves to Italy, they will face a difficult time learning about the new culture and be proficient in the local language. For this reason our hometown feels to warm and confortable. Additionally, we have strong relations and friendships in the city we grew up in. Many people would avoid leaving their home just for this.

On the other hand, staying in the same area has several disadvantages. Being geographically restricted means a person is subjected to less job opportunities. This might negatively impact their career growth. Furthermore, they will only be exposed to limited perspectives.

In conclusion, there are several reasons why individuals avoid leaving the locality they were raised in. Some may be restricted by their income source, others might prefer friendships over new experiences.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task prompt by identifying potential reasons for staying in one place, as well as discussing both advantages and disadvantages. The student introduces relevant reasons such as business ties and familiarity, and explores advantages like reduced stress alongside disadvantages like limited career growth. However, some ideas lack full extension and development; for instance, the discussion on local government ties or business is relatively brief and could be explored with more depth or a concrete example. Nevertheless, a clear position is maintained throughout the essay. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.5, but is best represented at Band 6.0 due to the slight under-development of certain supporting points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from reasons to advantages and disadvantages, followed by a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct sections for each prompt requirement. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'To begin with the advantages', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel a bit mechanical or simplistic. For example, the transition between paragraphs could be smoother, and minor organizational shifts occur, such as the conclusion omitting the discussion of disadvantages altogether. These features correspond to a solid Band 6.0 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and phrasing such as 'well-established family business', 'geographically restricted', and 'limited perspectives'. There are some word choice and collocation slips, such as writing 'governemed' (governement typo), 'be proficient' instead of 'becoming proficient', and stating that hometowns feel 'to warm and confortable' (confortable spelling error). Additionally, some phrases border on informal ('some folks'). Despite these minor inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficiently varied to meet the requirements of Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating the ability to use conditional structures and subordinate clauses, such as 'If a person living in the United States...'. There are several grammatical errors and typos present in the text, including 'staying at the same place' (instead of in), 'governement' spelling, 'feel to warm' (too), and 'less job opportunities' (fewer). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the sentence structures remain generally clear and understandable. The control of grammar corresponds comfortably to Band 6.0.

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

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