Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-29
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 6.5)
News plays an important role in our lives to know about what is happening around the world. News stories are often accompanied by photograhs because images can attract attention and help readers to understand events more easily. Some individuals believe that pictures are more effective than words. While, I disagree because I know the image has a powerful impact but I believe words are also essential to provide complete and accurate information.
On the one hand, people think images can capture the emotions and people's attention immediately. For example, last year, Punjab was fully covered with floods, videos and images on the social median or in the newspapers clearly depicting a situation which helps people to understand easily.
On the other hand, pictures cannot provide all the necessary details. They may show what happened, but they cannot be able to explain why it happens, who involves, the consequences. Written words show the facts and statistics behind the picture to gain complete and accurate information.
In my own experience, I usually notice the picture first but in the mean time I also read the article before making any opinion because I know the image cannot tell the complete story.
In conclusion, I think both are equally important because the combination of images and words provides clear and correct knowledge about the incident.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the roles of images and words in news. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While you present a clear position, the arguments remain somewhat superficial. For example, the point about the Punjab floods is a good start, but it lacks specific detail on how the combination of text and image specifically enhances the reader's understanding beyond just 'seeing' the event. To reach a higher band, you should expand your paragraphs with more nuanced analysis and ensure you meet the word count requirement to allow for full development of your ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in your argument. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of linking words could be more varied. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother. Overall, the structure is easy to follow, but it lacks the sophisticated, flexible use of cohesive devices required for higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accompanied', 'depicting', and 'consequences'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'photograhs' and 'median' (instead of 'media'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it is somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision or 'less common' lexical items that would elevate the response. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating basic words like 'important' or 'understand'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'they cannot be able to explain' is redundant and incorrect; it should be 'they are unable to explain'. Additionally, 'who involves' should be 'who is involved'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs to improve your accuracy.
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