Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-13

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 7.0)

Nowadays, as increasing number of tourists are choosing to visit places with extreme conditions, such as the Sahara Desert and Antarctica. Although these destinations can provide unique experiences and several benefits, they also involve significant disadvantages.

One major benefit is that visiting such places gives tourists an opportunity to experience something completely different from ordinary holidays. For example, travelling across the Sahara can allow people to see vast deserts, traditional communities and unique wildlife.

Similarly, a trip to Antarctica can provide an unforgettable experience of seeing glaciers, penguins and other polar animals. Such journeys can also help people develop a greater appreciation of nature and understand the importance of protecting fragile environments. In addition, challenging travel can improve a person’s confidence because successfully dealing with difficult conditions can be personally rewarding.

`however, there care also several disadvantages. The most obvious one is the potential danger to tourists. Extremely high tremperatures in deserts and freezing conditions in Antarctica can cause serious health problems if visitors are not properly prepared. Coroner, these remote areas often have limited medical facilities, transportation and communication services, meaning that assistance may not be available quickly in an emergency. Another concern is the environmental impact of tourism. Large numbers of visitors can disturb wildlife and leaves waste in areas that are particularly gemstone to human activity.

In conclusion, visiting places with difficult conditions can offer tourists memorable experiences, personal growth and a deeper understanding of nature. Nevertheless, the risks and environmental consequences should not be ignored. Therefore, such tourism should be carefully managed to protect both visitors and the natural environment.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall7.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both benefits (unique experiences, personal growth, environmental awareness) and disadvantages (health risks, lack of infrastructure, environmental impact). The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are well-supported with relevant examples such as the Sahara and Antarctica. The development is logical and balanced. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more depth in the explanation of the environmental impact, perhaps by linking it to specific types of pollution or long-term ecological damage, which would further strengthen the analytical quality of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'One major benefit', 'Similarly', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the disadvantages. However, there is a minor error in the transition at the start of the third paragraph ('`however, there care also...'), which slightly disrupts the flow. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the referencing is generally clear, making the text easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'fragile environments', 'personally rewarding', and 'carefully managed' are used effectively. There are a few minor errors, such as 'Coroner' (likely a typo for 'Moreover') and 'gemstone' (likely a typo for 'sensitive' or 'vulnerable'), which slightly impact the accuracy. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would help elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are some noticeable errors, such as the sentence fragment in the introduction ('Nowadays, as increasing number...'), the typo 'care' instead of 'are', and the spelling error 'tremperatures'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, ensure that your complex sentences are constructed with consistent subject-verb agreement and correct punctuation.

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

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