Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27
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)
Recent stories both on TV and newspapers usually have pictures attached, I am of the opinion that the pictures are very effective because they provide better evidence that helps us understand better, and also help to prevent misinformation.
Images helps to bring our imaginations to reality, they help us comprehend better and faster the reality of a situation. When reading a newspaper about a football match that had already be played, if the pictures captured during the football game are attached, it becomes very interesting and easy to follow as the reader has the opportunity to see what he is reading about even when he was not physically present at the pitch. Also having a clear understanding engages the attention of the viewers, sometime, they do not have to read or listen to the entire news, the pictorial evidence gives a summary of the entire event.
In addition, pictures has helped a great deal in the reduction of the spread of misinformation. For example, listening to a breaking news on the radio, were a notorious criminal is being described will not be as accurate as seeing his picture displayed on the TV or attached to the newspaper. A lot of incidents caught on camera are live incidents, which helps to prevent the spread of rumors, people tend to forget some details when it was only heard of and not seen.
To conclude, the current use of pictures on television and newspaper to accompany news is a good and effective initiative, that will lead to better understanding and reduce the spread of wrong information.
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 the prompt effectively, presenting a clear position that pictures are more effective than words in news stories. The candidate supports this stance with relevant arguments, such as enhanced comprehension and the prevention of misinformation. For instance, the example of a football match illustrates how images provide immediate context, while the reference to criminal descriptions highlights the role of visuals in verifying facts. However, some ideas could be extended further with deeper analysis or additional examples to reach higher bands. Overall, all parts of the prompt are covered, and the main ideas are well-supported throughout the essay, aligning closely with the Band 7 descriptors for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The introduction outlines the writer's position, followed by body paragraphs dedicated to comprehension and the reduction of misinformation, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'In addition', and 'To conclude' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in their placement. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, ensuring the overall progression is easy to follow. Referencing is generally clear, matching the characteristics of Band 7 where logical organisation is well-managed with flexible, if slightly conventional, cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, using phrases such as 'pictorial evidence', 'notorious criminal', and 'misinformation'. There are, however, some inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'pictures has helped' (grammatical slip affecting leexis) and 'already be played' instead of 'already been played'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, but occasional errors prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication, placing it comfortably at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences, such as 'When reading a newspaper about a football match that had already be played, if the pictures captured... it becomes very interesting.' However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward slips throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Images helps'), tense inconsistencies ('already be played'), and punctuation flaws like comma splices in the introduction and conclusion. While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the essay from reaching a Band 7, making Band 6.0 an accurate reflection of the grammatical control shown.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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