Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-17
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)
Electronic and print media often share news including images. Some people believe that this is more impactful, while others disagree. The pictures could help to increase attention span of the consumer and also reflect the authenticity of news. Therefore, using pictures is indeed more effective than using just plain words for news broadcast.
One important reason, for supporting the use of images for news broadcast is because of how it helps in gaining attention of the individual. With social media becoming very popular, people are getting used to scrolling past quickly hence, losing the ability to focus on activities like reading as it requires sustained focus. People tend to find word only news dry and boring. For example, Dawn News sells more copies than Express News now. This is attributed to the adaptation that Dawn news did by adding pictures in their news papers. Readers often say that having pictures along side the text prevents them from losing focus while reading.
Furthermore, having a picture accompanying the news serves as a display of proof. The validation helps build immediate trust. This is also crucial as many times in the past, baseless rumors can created many misunderstandings. The consumers can now be see the evidence and be certain about the authenticity of information. For instance, whenever news channels air the news of a criminal offense having a picture of the crime scene validates the information. This helps in making sure that only genuine information is spread.
In conclusion, having images along side the text in newspapers and TV can help improving the focus of consumer, Moreover, it also validates the news and prevents the spread of false information. Due to these reasons, I believe adding the pictures is an effective strategy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position throughout the essay. The response discusses both the idea that pictures increase attention span and their role in verifying the authenticity of news. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the comparison of newspaper sales and crime reporting. The position is well-maintained from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. While some points could be expanded with deeper elaboration to reach the highest descriptor levels, the task is comprehensively answered and meets the criteria for Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with an introduction, followed by two well-focused body paragraphs addressing attention and authenticity, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In conclusion', and 'For instance' are used appropriately to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, ensuring that the development of ideas is easy to follow, aligning closely with the requirements for a Band 7 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision. Terms such as 'authenticity', 'baseless rumors', 'criminal offense', and 'consumers' are used appropriately. However, there are minor lexical and collocational slips, such as 'gain attention of the individual' instead of 'capture individuals' attention', and 'news broadcast' where 'news reporting' or 'news articles' might be more natural. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate to convey meaning clearly, placing this response securely at Band 6.5, rounded to Band 6 based on common error frequency.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and conditional structures. There are several good complex sentences, such as 'With social media becoming very popular, people are getting used to scrolling past quickly hence, losing the ability to focus...'. However, some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing are present, such as 'baseless rumors can created' (tense/voice issue) and 'can now be see the evidence' (typographical error). Punctuation is sometimes faulty, missing commas after introductory phrases. These errors rarely impede communication, reflecting the standard characteristics of a Band 6 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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