Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24

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 7.5)

It is widely observed that news in newspapers and on TV is supported with relevant images. In my view, accompanying images make the news more engaging, captivating and compelling to the masses, and support evidence-based journalism.

The primary reason journalists make pictures an integral component of the news stories is to make it more convincing. By seeing relevant images, viewers believe the integrity of the news without questioning the source of information. For example, a news report in which a politician is being linked with illegal activities might appear fake unless supported by relevant images which can compel the public to believe that is true. Since it has become quite common to expect pictures to be a part of the news section, people nowadays do not rely on the news where supporting images are missing. Therefore, this practice directly supports evidence-based journalism.

Another contributing factor is that pictures in the news, make the news more engaging and interesting for the viewers. This is because visual representation of the information along with pictures attracts immediate attention from viewers and leaves a deeper impact on them. For instance, news about Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup was presented with pictures of the winning team holding the trophy, which made the news engaging. Furthermore, readers can often grasp the main message of a news story within seconds by looking at an image, which is particularly useful in today's fast-paced lifestyle.

In conclusion, presenting news stories with images has revolutionized mass media trends and escalated public' expectations, which has not only increased news popularity but also increased the pursuasive and compelling power of the news being published in the newspapers or broadcasted on TV. Therefore, I support that pictures create a stronger emotional engagement and are more effective than words in media.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant reasons for why images are effective, such as their role in establishing credibility and their ability to convey information quickly. The ideas are well-extended with specific examples, such as the FIFA World Cup reference. To reach a higher band, you could further explore the counter-argument—why words might sometimes be more effective than images—to provide a more balanced and nuanced discussion, which would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of task development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'The primary reason,' 'Another contributing factor,' and 'Furthermore' effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The flow is smooth, and referencing is generally clear. To improve, ensure that the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is slightly more seamless, and avoid minor repetitive phrasing when linking ideas to ensure the cohesion feels entirely natural rather than slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'evidence-based journalism,' 'integral component,' and 'visual representation' show a good grasp of topic-specific language. There is an attempt to use less common items, which is successful. However, there is a minor spelling error ('pursuasive' should be 'persuasive') and some word choices could be more varied. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and idiomatic expressions to enhance the naturalness of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is generally good. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'public' expectations' (should be 'public expectations') and 'the news where supporting images are missing' (which could be more concisely phrased). However, these errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, aim for a greater variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or more varied subordinate clauses, while maintaining the current high level of accuracy.

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