Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
There has been a significant increase in the number of people visiting isolated places which were not much explored before. There are numerous merits and demerits of such tourism and in this essay we will discuss both the aspects.
When tourists visit places that not such tourist attractions and has less crowd visiting there it often creates employment. To explain this ,there are many hidden gems around the world in which there is less number of tourists as needed when people visit there it generates income for the locals there and thus employment .In addition to that when more people visit certain places it leads to the development of that place as well.
On the contrast, there are some places that were kept hidden from the public due to some special reasons such as environmental effects. To site an example, places such as antarctic region there are many constraints if you want to visit it as more human involvment can distrupt the atmosphere causing global warming.
Another major disadvantages of visiting such places can be it can life threating sometimes. In a recent article in "The tribune" newspaper it was written that 9% tourist who come to visit mount everest to summit amongst them 5% has the chances of dying in the process of it.
In conclusion altough visiting such tourist attractions can often be fascanating sometimes but it often comes its own dangers.
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 the benefits and disadvantages of extreme tourism. However, the development of ideas is limited, and the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the depth of the argument. The points regarding employment and environmental impact are relevant but remain somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples and provide more detailed explanations for your claims. The position is clear, but the lack of length prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as 'On the contrast' (should be 'In contrast') and 'To site an example' (should be 'To cite an example'). While there is a logical progression from benefits to disadvantages, the transitions between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow is hindered by the limited length and some awkward phrasing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several spelling errors, such as 'fascanating' and 'involvment', and word choice issues like 'not such tourist attractions'. The use of 'life threating' instead of 'life-threatening' also indicates a need for more attention to detail. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of academic vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('there is less number of tourists') and awkward sentence construction ('5% has the chances of dying'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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