Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-10
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)
Nowadays most of the visitors are going to the spots where conditions are not good, for example the Sahara desert or the Antarctic. It has some perks and some drawbacks. In my essay I am going to discuss both and I will also give my opinion in the end.
To begin with, people visiting the high risk places whether in terms of the weather or other factors is really an appreciating effort. As a lot of humans have hobby as well as interest in visiting the places on which it is difficult to survive or reach. The want either want to create a history or want to get experience to go to such thrilling places which can also help science to discover more about them.
On the other hand, it is very risky to go to those dangerous places which can lead a person to not only to get injured but also can be a cause of death. People should not compromise with their lives unless they have proper sources and equipments to survive there. To state an example, couple years ago I was watching the news and I saw that a family of husband, wife and 2 little kids tried to climb a mountain in United States. Due to cold weather conditions they were not able to survive and died on the spot. This makes my heart very heavy.
In conclusion, I believe it is not appropriate to go to dangerous places unless you have proper equipments and knowledge. This trend is not appropriate for normal human beings.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt (benefits and disadvantages). However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the 'benefits' section mentions 'creating history' and 'helping science' but does not elaborate on these points sufficiently. The 'disadvantages' section relies on a single personal anecdote rather than a broader discussion of the risks involved. While the position is clear, the arguments lack the depth and analytical rigor required for a higher band. The essay covers the requirements but remains at a basic level of exploration.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', but they are somewhat mechanical and repetitive. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is generally clear, though the transition between the general discussion and the specific example in the second body paragraph could be smoother. Referencing is mostly clear, though some sentences feel disjointed due to limited variety in linking words.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', 'things', and 'places'. Phrases such as 'appreciating effort' and 'create a history' are slightly unnatural in this context. While the meaning is always clear, there is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic vocabulary related to travel, risk, and environmental conditions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'The want either want to' (redundancy), 'on which it is difficult to survive' (awkward preposition usage), and 'equipments' (equipment is an uncountable noun). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in sentence construction that occasionally distract the reader. While the meaning is not impeded, the lack of control over complex structures and consistent minor errors limits the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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