Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-08
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)
The advancement in technology has transformed every area of of this contemporary era. Nowadays, news telecasted on social media or in newspaper are usually seen accompanied by the images. Many people argue that pictures makes the audience engaged and it is a effective way, whereas, theoretical news can be monotonous. I firmly disregard this view, as this mode of news can mislead the information.
On the one hand, some people thinks that adding pictures in news is a good practice because it enables illiterate individuals to learn about the latest news. This is because they are not able to read the newspaper or news written on social media, while they can get an idea about situation from a news accompanied by a image.
For example, images of natural disasters such as floods, wildfire, tornadoes creates a powerful emotional response and help viewers understand the severity of situation at a glance. This visual impact can make the news more engaging and memorable for viewers.
On the other hand, I strongly believe that adding pictures can mislead the meaning of news. It is been witnessed that many news organizations are adding irrelevant pictures in news just to attract the audience which eventually change the purpose and motive of news. Also, words remain essential to provide accurate and detailed information about the news and images alone cannot explain the context, causes or consequences of the event. For instance, images can provide dramatic view to get attention which can mislead the message or miss the important information. However, written news provides analysis and explanation which is essential for people to understand the news.
In conclusion, although is it evident that images are effective to attract the audience and creating emotional impact, words can provide detailed and accurate information about the news. Therefore, I believe that pictures are strong communication tool however, it should be used alongside with the written news rather than replacing it in news reporting.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, maintaining a clear position throughout. You successfully argue that while images are effective for engagement, they can be misleading and should complement rather than replace text. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of natural disasters to illustrate emotional impact. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully developed; for instance, you could expand on the specific ways news organizations manipulate images to mislead, as this is a strong point that currently feels slightly under-explored. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the question.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through your argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'this mode of news' in the introduction, which could be more precisely linked to the previous sentence. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the opposing viewpoints, which helps the overall flow of the essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'monotonous', 'severity', and 'consequences'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'news telecasted' (should be 'news broadcast') and 'adding pictures in news' (should be 'adding pictures to news'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, some phrasing remains slightly repetitive. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to avoid repeating 'news' and 'pictures' frequently throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('pictures makes', 'some people thinks') and article usage ('a effective way', 'a image'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and preposition errors, such as 'It is been witnessed' instead of 'It has been witnessed'. These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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