Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

These days, there are a lot of travellers who visit places with hard terrain like desserts and places with extremely low temperature. I think there are both, the advantages and the disadvantages of travelling to such places. It is like two sides of the coin.

I would like to start with the benefits for tourists who visit such places. One benefit that comes to my mind is that it is not over populated and over crowded, which means that the tourists can go to places without too many queues. Another benefit that I can think of is that the beauty of such places is untouched and maintained. It is not hindered by too many tourists, so you can enjoy nature in its purest form.

Now, coming to the other side of the coin, the disadvantages for the tourist. They do not get all the facilities that they might be used to in cities. They may not get great hotels or resorts at such places. In fact, there are generally very limited lodging options at places with extreme weather, which can sometimes drive the price up. There could also be lack of resources like limited food and groceries.

I would like to share one anecdote. A few years back, I went to a place called Aut. It is in the state of Himachal Pradesh. I rented a bike and after a few kilometres, I was supposed to get fuel for the bike. It turned out that they did not get the regular supply and that is why, they were out of fuel. Luckily, I was able to find a local shop with some fuel and I was able to continue the journey, but these kind of things are pretty common in places with extreme weather.

Hence, I would like to reiterate that there are both the benefits and challenges for the tourists visiting such places.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed both parts of the prompt by discussing the benefits and disadvantages of visiting extreme environments. Your position is clear throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, such as the lack of crowds as a benefit and the scarcity of resources as a disadvantage. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the anecdote about the fuel shortage in Himachal Pradesh is a bit specific and could have been more effectively linked to the broader theme of 'extreme' environments like the Sahara or Antarctica. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are consistently tied back to the specific challenges of the environments mentioned in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use transition signals such as 'I would like to start with', 'Now, coming to the other side of the coin', and 'Hence' to guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the disadvantages. While the flow is generally smooth, some of the cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is clear, and the referencing is generally accurate, making the text easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'untouched', 'hindered', and 'reiterate'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'desserts' (which refers to sweet food) instead of 'deserts' (the geographical feature). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to travel and extreme environments, and be careful with spelling homophones, as these can distract the reader and indicate a lack of precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically correct, which ensures that communication is not impeded. There are some minor errors, such as 'there are both, the advantages and the disadvantages' (the comma is unnecessary) and 'they did not get the regular supply' (which could be phrased more naturally as 'there was no regular supply'). While you demonstrate control over basic grammar, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Increasing the variety of your sentence patterns would help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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