Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-18

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)

Tourism is experiencing an enormous turn in preferences, with more visitors recommending destinations like the Sahara Desert or Antarctica, having tough environments. Although this shift may have some benefits, it also brings some drawbacks that should not be ignored.

Firstly, heading to places with difficult survival conditions makes them more informative about living in bad conditions. Individuals can learn new ways of handling the problems. For example, the harsh temperatures of the Sahara Desert are extremely hot without any access to running water. Moreover, tourists can use it for researching new things that they might not have explored or have not been discovered. Such as discoveries about the species of organisms that have a habitat there or fossils that can be displayed in museums and make them popular.

To commence with, the major problem about going to places with difficult conditions is a lack of resources. Visitors should be more careful while carrying the necessary items with them, such as camping tents, chairs, and food. Moreover, vulnerability to wild species is another threat while visiting such places. Because they are not too much explored and have more chances of unexpected risks, which can be tackled with some serious measures and can also pose a serious threat to their lives.

To conclude, the cons of visiting places with harsh conditions are more and outweigh the pros . according to my opinion

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both the benefits and disadvantages of visiting extreme environments. However, the development of ideas is limited, and the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the depth of the argument. The conclusion is abrupt and lacks a summary of the main points, merely stating a preference without sufficient justification. To improve, you should expand on your examples and ensure that each body paragraph provides a more thorough explanation of the points raised, ensuring the essay reaches the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as the transition 'To commence with' to introduce a disadvantage, which is not the standard usage for this phrase. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would help to elevate the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'difficult conditions' and 'places'. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'survival conditions', 'vulnerability'), the overall range is limited. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations, and ensure that your word choices are consistently accurate and appropriate for the context of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'more visitors recommending' instead of 'recommending' or 'more visitors choosing', and 'they are not too much explored'. Punctuation is also inconsistent in places. To improve, focus on reducing these frequent errors and aim for a greater variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while ensuring they are used accurately.

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

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