Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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)

Nowadays, there is a popular trend to attach the main picture with the news articles by news editiors and reporters. This has led to differing opinions whether its an appropriate way to convey the message. I strongly agree that it is the best approach to spread news in the society as it not only make people to understand easily, but it also convey the emotions to them. This essay will shed light on reasons behind my opinion.

The main benefit of this approach is to make the news more understandable. By looking at the pictures people get idea about what will be written in the newspaper and same thing applies to the news channels also. As a result, it reduce the extra burden on news stories editors to convey the exact pupose behind the news. For example, a picture of flood affected area in news paper can immediately shows people about the seriousness of the situation before reading the actual news.

Another worthwhile point that need to be considered is; it becomes easy to create emotional impact on the people. This is because when people see the actual difficulties faced by victims, they feel it emotionally. Consequently, it will remains in their mind for a long time. For instance, real pictures captured during natural disasters can directly show the pain of victim families to the people.

In conclusion, I certainly believe that pictures can be highly effective than words in news stories as they allow people to easily understand the message and it also connect them emotionally. However, the value of written information must not be fully ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—“I strongly agree”—and remains consistent in the conclusion. You address the comparison by explaining two relevant advantages of pictures: they help readers grasp a story quickly and create an emotional response. The flood example supports the first point, while disaster photographs illustrate the second. This gives the response a clear, relevant argument. To develop it further, explain more precisely why pictures can be more effective than words, rather than mainly describing their benefits. For example, you could compare how quickly an image communicates a scene with the detail and context that written reporting provides. The final qualification that written information should not be ignored is useful, but could be integrated more fully into your reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. Linking phrases such as “The main benefit,” “Another worthwhile point,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow this structure. Examples are placed alongside the points they support, which also aids clarity. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. “This has led to differing opinions whether” does not clearly express the relationship between the trend and the debate, and “As a result” introduces a consequence that is not fully explained. The repeated pattern of announcing a point, explaining it, and giving an example is clear but somewhat formulaic. Use more precise referencing and vary transitions to make the progression feel more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “convey the message,” “emotional impact,” “seriousness of the situation,” and “natural disasters.” These choices communicate your ideas, and the topic-specific language is generally understandable. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural word combinations, such as “attach the main picture with the news articles,” “spread news in the society,” and “the actual difficulties faced by victims.” Spelling errors in “editiors,” “pupose,” and “newspaper” (written as “news paper”) also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and precise wording—for instance, say that stories are “accompanied by photographs” and that images “communicate information” or “convey emotion.” This would make your vocabulary more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the contrastive construction “not only … but also” and clauses beginning “By looking at the pictures” and “when people see.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “it not only make people to understand” needs subject–verb agreement and a different verb pattern; “it reduce” and “it will remains” also have agreement or verb-form problems. Articles and plurals are sometimes missing or inconsistent, as in “get idea” and “the pain of victim families.” The sentence beginning “Another worthwhile point” also uses a semicolon where a comma or full stop is needed. Review agreement, verb patterns, and article use, then proofread each sentence for these issues while retaining your attempts at complex forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.