Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

News stories on TV and in newspapers are very often accompanied by pictures.

Some people say that these pictures are more effective than words.

What is your opinion about this?

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

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In recent times, News stories on TV and in newspapers are often acompanied by images and diagrams. While some argue that pictorial representation of news is ineffective because it can create confusion in the mind of the readers. However, I strongly believe that using images to illustrate news stories is more effective than words because it can be more entertaining while still passing vital information to the reader.

I am of the opinion that creating Images to illustrate important information in the news can entice the readers. It encourages individuals to engage in the stories and awakens the interest of the readers in a particular topic being discussed in the newspapers and magazines. For instance, I once bought a newspaper because I was drawn to the beautiful pictures of the capital city of my country Nigeria. Furthermore, using images to illustrate certain news stories can be entertaining and educative at the same time. It allows the reader to enjoy the beauty of certain pictures while still assimilating important information thereby making the stories less boring and more appealing to the audience.

Some argue that images and pictures in newspapers and TV news stories can be ineffective because it can take away the mind of the audience from the theme of the story. Some individuals can get carried away with the pictures, consequently creating confusion in the mind of the readers and viewers.

Overall, although using images to illustrate news on newspapers and Tv can be inadequate because it can create confusion and distraction to the viewers and readers. I strongly believe that using such images can be both entertaining and educative.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe pictures are more effective because they attract attention and make news more engaging, while acknowledging that they can distract readers. The example of buying a newspaper after seeing photographs of Nigeria’s capital supports your point, and you address both the benefits and a counterargument. However, the counterargument is only briefly explained, and the conclusion repeats your view without resolving when words might communicate news more effectively. Develop the comparison more directly—for example, explain what a picture conveys quickly and what written reporting can clarify in greater depth. This would make the response more fully developed across all parts of the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from your opinion to supporting reasons, a counterargument and a conclusion. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and signposts such as “For instance,” “Furthermore” and “Overall” guide the reader. However, progression within and between paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the opening’s “While … However” construction creates an awkward transition. The third paragraph introduces the opposing view but does not connect it back to your position with a clear response, while the conclusion largely repeats earlier points. Use linking phrases to show the relationship between claims, and make the final paragraph synthesise the comparison rather than simply restating it.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “pictorial representation,” “entice,” “assimilating important information” and “theme of the story.” These choices help express ideas about engagement and distraction, and the meaning remains clear. Some wording is inaccurate or repetitive, however: “take away the mind” is not a natural way to describe distraction, and “creating Images” repeats the idea of illustrating news without adding precision. There are also spelling and capitalisation slips, such as “acompanied,” “Images” and “Tv.” Aim for more natural collocations and vary repeated terms such as “pictures,” “images” and “readers.” Proofreading will also help make your vocabulary choices more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “while” and “although.” Most ideas are understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. The opening sentence beginning “While some argue…” is a dependent clause followed by a separate “However” clause, so it is not a complete, well-formed sentence. In “images … can be ineffective because it can take away,” the pronoun does not agree with the plural subject; use “they.” The final sentence also begins with “although” but has no main clause before the full stop. Review clause structure, agreement and punctuation, and check that each sentence containing a subordinating conjunction expresses a complete thought.

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