Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-22

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 7.5)

In recent years, an increasing number of travellers have been travelling to remote destinations with harsh environmental conditions, such as Sahara Desert and Antarctica, in search of unique travel experiences. Although this trend offers economic and educational benefits, its also gives rise to environmental damage and safety concerns.

One significant advantage of visiting such challenging destinations is that it boosts local economy by creating employment opportunities and generating substantial tourism revenue. Local residents can earn a stable income by working as tour guides, hotel staff, or transport providers, which ultimately improves their quality of life. For example, tourism in the Sahara Desert has enabled many local communities to support their families while preserving traditional culture. Another bebfit is that these journeys increase environmental awarenessamong the travellers. Since visitors witness the beauty and vulnerability of these ecosystems firsthand, they often become more concious of environmental conservation and support sustainable practices.

Despite these advantages, tourism in such regions can severely damamge fragile ecosysytems. The increasing number of visitors generates pollution, disturbs wildlife, and accelerates environmental degradation, even when strict regulations are enforced. For example, waste produced by tourist expeditions in Antarctica has negatively affected marine life and natural habitats. Furthermore, travelling to remote locations involves considerable safety risks because extreme weather conditions and limited medical facilities can quickly turn emergencies into life-threatening situations.

In conclusion, although travelling to extreme destinations contributes to economic development by providing employment oppotunities, and promotes environmental awareness, it also threatens delicate ecosystems and exposes tourists to significant dangers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both benefits and disadvantages of tourism in extreme environments. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are logically extended with relevant examples, such as the economic impact in the Sahara and the environmental consequences in Antarctica. The development is balanced, providing a clear structure that covers the requirements of the task effectively. The response is well-focused and maintains a consistent perspective, meeting the criteria for a high band score by providing sufficient support for all points raised.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits and the drawbacks is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'One significant advantage,' 'Another benefit,' 'Despite these advantages,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The flow is natural, and the relationship between sentences is clear, which ensures that the argument is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You demonstrate the ability to use topic-specific terminology such as 'fragile ecosystems,' 'environmental degradation,' and 'sustainable practices.' However, there are a few spelling errors, such as 'its' instead of 'it's,' 'bebfit,' 'concious,' 'damamge,' 'ecosysytems,' and 'oppotunities.' While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on proofreading to eliminate these minor slips and aim for a slightly more sophisticated range of collocations to enhance the precision of your arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use complex sentences effectively, such as 'Since visitors witness the beauty and vulnerability of these ecosystems firsthand, they often become more conscious...' The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are a few minor punctuation and spelling-related grammatical slips, but these do not interfere with the clarity of your message. The control over complex structures is consistent, and the overall grammatical accuracy is strong enough to support a high band score.

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