Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Today more and more tourists are visiting places where conditions are difficult, such as the Sahara desert or the Antarctic.

What are the benefits and disadvantages for tourists who visit such places?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 7.5)

In the modern era, an increased number of tourists are travelling to locations where conditions are not favorable. Although it allows travelers to gain vast experience and get relaxation from their busy routines, it adds a huge expense of travel and can affect their well-being.

Discussing the advantages, the major benefit is that people get to know about many things such as the lifestyle of people living in those areas, weather conditions, and work opportunities. By travelling and living there for a few days, they get to experience those situations in real life, which expands their knowledge about how they can manage living in similar situations. In addition to this, it allows them to get relaxation from their busy schedules. This is because these areas are not connected to the telephone or internet coverage, which makes it difficult for their team members and relatives to connect with them when they are away. Thus, they can enjoy the serene environment and freshen their mind without any disturbance or pressure of work. To exemplify, a business manager travelling to the Sahara Desert can peacefully enjoy his vacation or spend time with his loved ones as no one from his office can contact him because of the unavailability of network.

On the contrary, travelling to places where conditions are difficult is extremely expensive, so an individual needs to put a huge amount of their savings aside to plan these trips. People work hard for years to save some money for fulfilling their dreams, and just a single trip to the Antarctic takes thousands of dollars. As a result, after just one excursion, they again need to work diligently for a long time to maintain their budget. Additionally, people can develop health issues such as difficulty in breathing or skin allergies when they travel to areas with harsh weather conditions. For example, travelers get rashes or redness on their skin when they visit places with very high temperatures, as sun rays burn their skin, which can cause skin infections.

To conclude, undoubtedly, excursioners need to face some downsides when travelling to places with unfavorable conditions, but it provides them opportunities to experience those conditions and relax in a way they deserve.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt—benefits and disadvantages—clearly. The position is consistent throughout, and the ideas are extended with relevant examples, such as the business manager in the Sahara and the financial burden of Antarctic travel. The response is well-structured, and the arguments are logical and relevant. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced development of the 'benefits' beyond just 'relaxation' and 'knowledge,' perhaps discussing the psychological growth or unique perspective gained from such extreme environments. Overall, the task is fully addressed with well-supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this,' 'On the contrary,' and 'As a result' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth, and referencing is generally clear. The essay maintains a consistent flow, and the relationship between ideas is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally precise, allowing for clear communication of ideas. The student uses some topic-specific vocabulary like 'unfavorable conditions,' 'serene environment,' and 'diligently.' While there are some slightly repetitive phrasings (e.g., 'travelling to places where conditions are difficult'), the range is adequate for the task. To improve, the student should aim for more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary. The current level is solid and fits the Band 6.5-7.0 range, leaning towards 7.0 due to the lack of errors that impede meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control over grammar and punctuation, and the majority of sentences are error-free. Minor slips occur, such as 'get relaxation' (better: 'find relaxation' or 'relax') and 'excursioners' (a less common term; 'adventurous tourists' would be more natural). However, these errors do not impede communication. The use of complex structures is consistent, and the overall grammatical control is strong enough to support the clear expression of ideas throughout the response.

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