Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Currently, Many people prefer to visit the places where weather conditions are more challenging, destinations like Sahara Desert or the Antarctic. These phenomena have their own advantages and disadvantages, such as gaining unique experiences and personal growth or facing significant challenges and risks.

One of the most prominent benefits of visiting the special weather condition areas is the extraordinary experiences that are impossible elsewhere. In the Sahara Desert, for instance, sitting on a camel in the desert with hot winds bringing the dunes together creates a historical moment. Additionally, staying in a cruise for days to reach Antarctica and jumping into ice-cold water while witnessing icebergs around is also an unforgettable experience. These kinds of experineces does not only provide incomparable feelings but also support personal development. Someone who has done these kinds of travel becomes physically and mentally strong to face those extreme conditions and survive in them.

On the other side, looking at the consequences, it can be a dangerous choice of places for someone who is has health issues, as the weather conditions can trigger them. For example, in the Sahara Desert, hot winds and higher temperatures can cause heat strokes, dehydration and other issues, and in cold temperatures in the Antarctic, hypothermia and frostbite problems can create a health risk. Moreover, these trips require a high level of specialized equipment, Tour guides and experts and transportation to reach remote areas. To add to this, these trips are also not cost-effective.

Visiting extreme destinations provides unparalleled adventure and personal growth but also includes high risk, high cost and potential environmental harm. Tourists should take a balanced approach while visiting those places by planning and following health and safety guidelines thoroughly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: benefits and disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as personal growth and unique experiences for benefits, and health risks and high costs for disadvantages. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas could be more extensive. For example, the point about 'environmental harm' in the conclusion is introduced at the very end but was not discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure all points mentioned in the conclusion are supported by evidence or explanation within the main body of the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'On the other side', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the second paragraph ('These kinds of experineces does not only...') is slightly awkward. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'hypothermia', 'frostbite', and 'dehydration'. There are some minor errors, such as 'special weather condition areas' which is slightly unnatural, and 'experineces' (spelling error). You also use 'cost-effective' correctly, but the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary, while ensuring that spelling remains accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('These kinds of experineces does not only' should be 'do not only') and minor punctuation or phrasing issues ('someone who is has health issues'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed with precision and grammatical consistency.

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

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