Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-08

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)

Undoubtedly, an increasing number of people are attracted to visit places like the Sahara and Antarctica where conditions for living are difficult. This essay will present both the benefits and drawbacks for tourists travelling to such destinations.

There are numerous advantages for people who want to experience life in the largest desert and the coldest continent. Firstly, individuals will get the opportunity to survive in extreme weather conditions leaving their comfort zone. While this journey they have an opportunity to learn about the wildlife of the local region, for example penguins in the Antarctic. Secondly, tourists can develop a sense of responsibility towards nature. Professional guides often provide knowledge about the weather and how climate change has been affecting these beautiful landscapes which eventually disturbs our ecosystem. Consequently, tourists observe the challenging circumstances of life in these places and become responsible towards the nature.

Visiting such locations are coupled with some disadvantages which are worth considering. One of them is unpredictable weather conditions. Sandstorms in the Sahara and heavy snowing conditions in the Antarctic can make people stuck there for several days. These remote areas are not connected with the services unlike urban areas. This could not only lead to injuries or rise to any physical problem but also the rescue can take a considerable amount of time. In addition, limited access to food, medical facilities and internet is a problem itself. Although ships and tour agencies organizing these invaluable experience always have enough food supply and medicines, in case of severe illness they do not have professional doctors for patients. Moreover, these places do not provide internet facilities which disconnects travellers to stay in touch with their families.

Thus, they are not able to update their closed ones with their life situations which creates challenges in locating them in case of any mis-happening.

In conclusion, it is irrefutable that the destinations such as the Sahara and Antarctica provide opportunities for people to delve into different experiences where they learn about the life on these lands. Nevertheless, they must also stay prepared to face situations where they can be immobile for some days without the sufficient supply of edibles including medicine

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, covering both benefits and disadvantages of extreme tourism. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on environmental awareness as a benefit and the logistical risks (weather, medical access) as disadvantages provides a balanced view. The position is clear throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of ideas could be slightly more nuanced; for example, the point about 'surviving in extreme weather' could be expanded to explain the psychological benefits or the specific personal growth involved, rather than just stating it as a general opportunity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the benefits from the drawbacks. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Consequently', 'In addition', and 'Nevertheless' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the phrase 'While this journey' is slightly awkward and should be 'During this journey'. Additionally, the transition between the lack of internet and the inability to contact family is a bit repetitive. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good topic-specific collocations such as 'extreme weather conditions', 'beautiful landscapes', and 'disturbs our ecosystem'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'mis-happening' (should be 'mishap' or 'emergency') and 'closed ones' (should be 'loved ones'). The phrase 'invaluable experience' is used well, but some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'edibles' to refer to food supplies. The range is sufficient to convey ideas clearly, but more sophisticated or precise vocabulary would be needed for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'Visiting such locations are coupled' (should be 'is coupled'), 'disturbs our nature' (should be 'the environment'), and 'disconnects travellers to stay in touch' (should be 'prevents travellers from staying in touch'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The use of punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate greater control over complex grammatical forms.

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

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