Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

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)

There has been an ongoing debate regarding the stories on TV and in newspapers which are often accompanied by pictures. Many people consider that these pictures are more effective than words to grasp the attention of viewers or readers. This essay will discuss different perspectives before explaining my own opinion.

In this era of technological advancement, people heavily rely on physically presented information rather than just words. Pictures attract the audience in many ways as they illustrate the theme and reflect the emotions. People also prefer figures and shapes as they add colour and life to the subject. It helps to boost the imaginative process and develop the story in mind that is just written in words. News that are accompanied by the pictures confirms the authenticity of information provided by that source. For example, a news on murder along with pictures increases the interest and attention of audience otherwise it is just another story.

Nowadays, a lot of fake news and images are shared through different social media platforms which are being produced by artificial intelligence. This kind of information along with pictorial evidence is used to blackmail individuals and also spread incorrect information. For example, AI made videos and images are sometimes hard to distinguish from reality which can be used negatively. Although it has become easier to generate false information, visual images still serve to attract the attention of public. For example, many youtubers use images of celebrities or politicians to excite the audience with an interesting news about them but when you start watching the video, it turns out to be irrelevant.

To conclude, in my opinion, visual representation of a news whether on TV or in newspaper always captivate the attention of public. A piece of information without any evidence is useless and not interesting enough to raise awareness and create curiosity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear opinion that visual elements are more effective than words. The ideas are relevant, such as the emotional impact of images and the role of AI in spreading misinformation. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The second paragraph introduces the negative aspect of AI-generated images, which, while interesting, slightly distracts from the core argument about the effectiveness of pictures in news. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure that every point directly supports the central thesis rather than veering into the ethics of AI, which is a secondary issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'In this era of,' 'For example,' and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the connection between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the benefits of images and the dangers of AI-generated images could be better integrated to maintain a stronger, more unified argument throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'technological advancement,' 'authenticity,' and 'captivate.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'News that are accompanied by the pictures' (should be 'News that is accompanied by pictures') and 'a news on murder' (should be 'a news story about a murder'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band. The student relies on some repetitive phrasing when discussing 'attention' and 'information.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation. For instance, 'News that are accompanied' is a subject-verb agreement error, and 'a news' is an incorrect use of an uncountable noun. Additionally, there are some awkward phrasings like 'the story in mind that is just written in words.' Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of uncountable nouns in English.

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