Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-07
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 5.5)
Since two decades the tourism became one of the most popular activity throughout the globe, most people love to travel at the same time other just wanna enjoy locally. But these days people became more adventures so they prefer to challenge themselves to visit places like Sahara desert and the Antarctic. there are several pros and cons to visit this kind of places. I will discuss both and last I will discuss what I prefer.
Firstly, today generation the GEN Z are always wanna do something that challenge them or the things people did not did before. for example one of my nephew always want to go to desert and ride the camel over there If I asked why he will answer just to have fun. and the uses of social media is on peak these days so people want to film themselves at the desert show off it between there collogues, friends, and family. keeping these things aside there are a lot of pros going there like people will reflect with the Nature they will understand the needs of necessity natural resources like water, electricity etc . Because today generation won't thing before wasting natural resource as before our grandparents use to do.
On the other hand, there are several drawback of selecting these places as travelling. First, the atmosphere there will hard to adapt for people living in a high rise buildings as there will be limited resources to use. The poor internet quality sometime make people lost themselves as there will be no maps to follow the roots. lastly, sudden change from greenery to desert will give the person fatigue and illness which can lead to severe headache.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both the benefits and disadvantages of visiting extreme environments. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'reflecting with nature' is mentioned but not fully explained, and the discussion on disadvantages is brief. The student mentions they will discuss their preference in the introduction, but this is not clearly addressed in the conclusion, which is missing. The ideas are relevant, but the lack of depth and the absence of a concluding summary prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure each point is supported by a clear explanation or a more detailed example.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'keeping these things aside' or 'at the same time other just wanna enjoy'. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall progression feel incomplete. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more naturally rather than relying on simple transitions.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of informal language ('wanna', 'show off') and incorrect word choices, such as 'collogues' (likely meaning colleagues) and 'roots' (likely meaning routes). The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student struggles with collocations, such as 'reflect with the Nature' instead of 'connect with nature'. To improve, focus on using more formal, academic vocabulary and ensuring that words are used in their correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('people did not did before'), subject-verb agreement ('today generation... are'), and preposition usage ('Since two decades'). Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'Because today generation won't thing before wasting natural resource as before our grandparents use to do.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences. A focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for tense consistency is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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