Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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)

Nowadays, visual context is more popular with people. Therefore, News channels and publishers prefer to add pictures to television and newspapers. Some members of society believe that words are less interesting than photos.

This essay will discuss the reasons behind this and why I support this statement in the following paragraphs.

The first reason is that more clarity. Written content provides basic information for the news or a story, but people understand more clearly after seeing pictures of the same thing. For example, Television news shows a better story of coincidences or what has occurred in society. Consequently, people don't feel bored and pay more attention to the news.

Another reason is that it is suitable for uneducated multitudes. There are a lot of people who cannot read the news, which makes it difficult for them to understand it. For instance, grey-haired residents have trouble reading newspapers and TV screens, so they prefer watching. As a result, they cannot read the news properly and feel bored, but pictures make it easy for them to understand the story or news.

In conclusion, Pictures are preferable for both audiences and publishers because they provide a better understanding of the content. Also, this makes the news more interesting; it is affordable for those people who cannot study or read.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you support the view that pictures can be more effective than words, and you give two relevant reasons—improved understanding and accessibility for people who struggle to read. The examples about television reports and older residents help connect these points to the topic. However, the explanation remains general, and the example about “coincidences” is unclear; a specific news event would make the benefit of images more convincing. The response also does not fully meet the task’s development expectations because it is below the required 250 words. Extend each main point with a concrete example and explain whether pictures are more effective in all situations or only some.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “The first reason,” “Another reason,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow, and the main ideas are generally connected. This gives the essay a coherent foundation. To make the organisation more flexible and polished, avoid relying so heavily on formulaic transitions and develop clearer links between claims and examples. For instance, the sentence about older residents could be followed by a specific explanation of how a photograph communicates information that written text may not. The conclusion also repeats earlier points rather than drawing them together in a more considered final judgement.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “visual context,” “publishers,” “audiences,” and “understand the content.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “members of society.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise and make parts of the argument less clear. “Uneducated multitudes” sounds inappropriate and overly broad, while “grey-haired residents” is an awkward way to refer to older people. “A better story of coincidences” is also difficult to interpret. Aim for precise, natural collocations and avoid wording that may sound dismissive. A wider range of accurate terms for images, written reporting, and accessibility would help express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including a relative clause in “people who cannot read the news” and a result clause beginning “which makes it difficult.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors are noticeable and some sentences are incomplete or awkwardly formed. For example, “The first reason is that more clarity” needs a complete grammatical structure, such as “The first reason is that pictures provide more clarity.” In “Television news shows a better story,” the sentence structure does not clearly express the intended meaning. Check sentence completeness, articles, and punctuation, including the unnecessary capitalisation of “News” mid-sentence and the extra spaces after full stops. Practising accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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