Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10

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)

Nowadays, news stories on TV and in newspapers are often shown with pictures. Some people believe that pictures are more effective than words. In my views pictures can be very useful but words are also essential for giving full information.

Firstly pictures can help people understand news quickly. When people see a picture they can understand what happened without reading a long article. For instance, if there is a new story about a big flood a picture can show the amount of water and the damage to houses. This can make the news more interesting and easy to understand that information.

However pictures cannot always give all the information. Words can explain the reasons, details and background of an event. Such as, a picture of a protest can show many people in the street but it cannot explain why they are protesting or what they want. Therefore readers need written information to understand the whole situation.

In my experience I usually look at pictures first when i read online news because they catch my attention. After that i read the article to know more details. But it depends on their pictures. I consider using both pictures and words is the best way to give news to people.

In conclusion pictures are effective because they are easy to understand and can attract people’s attention. However words are necessary to provide detailed information. Therefore i believe that pictures and words should be used together and this is the most compelling way to understand comfortably.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that both pictures and words are necessary. The ideas are relevant, such as the speed of visual communication versus the depth of written information. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the example of the flood is clear but could be expanded to explain why the visual impact is superior to a textual description. The conclusion reinforces the position well. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced arguments or explore the implications of your position more deeply, rather than relying on straightforward, descriptive examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical or repetitive. For example, the use of 'For instance' and 'Such as' is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disconnected. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that ideas flow more naturally from one to the next would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'news stories', 'protest', and 'detailed information'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler, high-frequency words. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede meaning, but the language lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and less common vocabulary to express your ideas with greater nuance and stylistic variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as missing punctuation (e.g., 'In my views' should be 'In my view') and minor errors in sentence construction (e.g., 'easy to understand that information'). The use of 'i' instead of 'I' is a recurring error that should be corrected. While you attempt complex sentences, they are not always perfectly controlled. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent attention to punctuation and capitalization will help improve your score in this area.

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