Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate regarding the tourists who are more interested these days in visiting places like the Sahara desert or the Antarctica. Visiting these places with difficult weather conditions and unforseen circumstances is challenging as well as adventurous. There are both advantages and disadvantages for tourists who visit these places.

On the one hand, people who are keen in exploring the new places always choose demanding tasks with risks. They accept challenging situations with great amusement and zeal while putting their lives in danger. These daring situations provide adrenaline rush and inner satisfaction. Although people throughout the history were intrigued in travelling to these areas, it is more accessible now due advanced technology. Moreover, touring the untouched parts of the world offers an amazing experience to feel nature and its unseen beauty.

On the other hand, tourists travelling to such places are taking huge risks of unknown threat. For example, visiting the Sahara desert or the Antartica means dangers like harsh weather conditions and unknown flora and fuana. Many people or even groups of people throughout the history have been reported to be lost and never found again in those regions. These places cover extremely large areas of earth with hostile environment and lack of human exposure with many zones which still remain undiscovered.

In conclusion, the disadvantages outweight the advantages as life is more important than exploring dangerous areas of earth just for the sake of interest and fun. Individuals who are keen in visiting these places must take caution and should never put their life in hazard.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt by discussing the benefits and disadvantages of visiting extreme environments. The position is clear throughout, particularly in the conclusion where you state that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention 'adrenaline rush' and 'unseen beauty' as benefits, and 'harsh weather' and 'unknown threats' as disadvantages, these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The ideas are relevant, but the support remains at a general level rather than being fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'these places' which is sometimes repetitive. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'unforeseen circumstances', 'hostile environment', and 'untouched parts'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'Antartica' (should be Antarctica) and 'fuana' (should be fauna). Additionally, some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'keen in exploring' (should be 'keen on exploring') and 'put their life in hazard' (should be 'put their lives at risk'). While communication is never impeded, the range is sufficient but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'people throughout the history were intrigued in travelling' (should be 'throughout history, people have been intrigued by traveling') and 'disadvantages outweight' (should be 'outweigh'). Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are occasionally inconsistent. While you attempt complex structures, they are not always error-free. The errors present do not significantly impede communication, but they do occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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