Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-25
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 a growing number of people are travelling to places where conditions are tough, like the Antartica or the Sahara desert. This tread can have some advantages such as an increase in the confidence and public appreciation whereas can also have some demerits such as longer rescue periods and higher expenditure.
To commence with, the main advantage of visiting a difficult place is that it boosts confidence levels. To elaborate, since places such as the Antartica and the Sahara desert test human endurance due to extreme temperatures and terrains, most of the travellers avoid visiting such areas. People who successfully complete a vacation or a journey in these places believe that they have accomplished something rare in life. For example, my childhood friend loves trekking. After completing his Mount Fuji trek he became extremely confident and now he regularly trek in Himalayan region. Additionally, some people travel to difficult locations to gain public attention. Content creators visit remote and extreme places such as Alaska to shoot a video. As a result, they are not only able to grab attention on social media but also make huge profits by gaining more views and likes.
On the other hand, there are few disadvantages. The dominant one is that it can be dangerous for tourists. To expound, since places such as the Antartica or the Sahara desert are not inhibited, getting a help in case of an emergency can be a cumbersome process. For instance, recently a group of travellers were stuck in a snow storm in east Russia was rescued by the disaster management team after a long search operation. Moreover, travelling to extreme locations may be expensive because travellers have to take extra food, medicines and clothes according to the weather.
To conclude, this essay has discussed advantages such as gain in confidence levels and public attention for ravelling to places with difficult conditions. Furthermore, also highlighted few demerits such as high risk for tourists and it can have financial implications.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both benefits (confidence, public attention) and disadvantages (safety risks, financial costs). The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the mention of Mount Fuji and the rescue operation in Russia. The position is clear throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of ideas could be more nuanced; for instance, the link between 'public attention' and 'difficult places' is a bit narrow. However, the response successfully covers the requirements of the task with a clear structure and logical progression of points.
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 'To commence with', 'Additionally', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the overall flow is smooth and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. The referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in the variety of linking phrases would enhance the sophistication of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some flexibility. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'endurance', 'terrain', 'cumbersome', and 'financial implications'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'Antartica' (Antarctica) and 'tread' (trend), and a few word-choice issues like 'not inhibited' (should be 'uninhabited'). Despite these occasional slips, the range of vocabulary is adequate to convey ideas precisely, and the errors do not impede communication. Using more precise collocations would help elevate the score further.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are some recurring errors, such as 'now he regularly trek' (should be 'treks') and 'a group of travellers... was rescued' (should be 'were rescued'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues, such as 'a help' (should be 'help'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not significantly impede the reader's understanding. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles with uncountable nouns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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