Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-06

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)

A high percentage of news stories on printed and electronic media contain visual resources to support story-telling. Many people believe these pictures are more useful than readable content. I also agree with this because photographic story-telling is more engaging. This essay will further elaborate my opinion using relevant examples.

Using photographs to support a story in both TV news and newspapers is one of the most vital developments in media industry in recent times. These pictures, along with the text, play an integral part in grabbing attention of the viewer instantly. Some people argue that these photo materials are a more effective and compelling aspect in news-telling because they portray a strong image of the occurence in viewer's mind. I strongly agree with this point. For example, using real images of protestants in a news sources that is reporting a sudden drastic crash in stock market that resulted in a series of protests by small investors against government policies. Using imagery not only helped understand the situation better but also gave an idea about the intensity of the these protests.

Furthermore, origin of news reporting is dated back in the early 1900s when first printing machine was invented. This invention resulted in the foundation of print media, but during those early days it was not possible for a printing press to use photographic materials with the news because commercial cameras were not mainstream and hand-drawing the pictures took a long time. Subsequently, newspapers were printed and sold to the public which was a major outbreak. To experience novelty, excessive amount of people bought newspapers in the start but the sales later dropped because readers found the news boring. Later on, commercial cameras became available in the markets which brought real-life events to visual representation. This was a huge step in the progress of the newspaper industry and there was a significant rise in newspaper sales.

In conclusion, accompanying photographic resource with text-based news is more effective because it not only enagages reader's focus but also helps them understand the gravity of situation in a much better way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that pictures are more effective, and you give relevant reasons about attracting attention and helping readers grasp the seriousness of events. The protest example supports this view, while the discussion of newspaper sales offers a second line of support. However, the historical paragraph focuses largely on the development of print technology and sales rather than directly comparing the impact of pictures with words. The protest example is also difficult to follow because the relationship between the stock-market crash, protests, and the images is not fully explained. Develop each reason more directly around the question, and clarify how pictures add something that written reporting alone cannot provide.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and the main position remains consistent. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “For example,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The shift from the protest example to the historical account is abrupt, and the long example sentence beginning “For example, using real images…” does not clearly connect its details. The historical paragraph also moves through several events without consistently tying them back to the central comparison. Use clearer topic sentences and make the relationship between each example and your claim explicit; this would create more controlled progression and referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including phrases such as “visual resources,” “compelling,” “visual representation,” and “gravity of situation.” These attempts to use less common language show ambition, and the overall meaning is generally clear. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “readable content” for written news, “news-telling,” and “a major outbreak” for a major development. There are also spelling errors, including “occurence” and “enagages,” and some phrases are unnecessarily elaborate. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. More straightforward wording such as “written reports” or “news coverage” would often express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because” and “which,” and most of the argument remains understandable. Some sentences show useful control, such as “These pictures, along with the text, play an integral part in grabbing attention…” However, there are some grammatical errors and awkward constructions. In “Using real images…,” the example is a sentence fragment, while “helped understand the situation” needs a clear object or subject construction. Other issues include “in media industry” and “the intensity of the these protests,” where articles and determiners are not controlled. Review sentence completeness, article use, and agreement, and break up long sentences when their structure becomes difficult to manage.

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