Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-29

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 5.5)

Undoubtedly, there has been dramatic change in people's preference in terms of visiting tourist places. Nowadays, people are more enjoying adventure spots such as Sahara desert, and Antarctic even though it is difficult to survive. I will discuss both advantages and disadvantages below.

There are some benefits of going these places. Firstly, Sahara desert and Antarctic gives a unique experience that ordinary destination cannot give to tourists. This is not only helpful to get wonderful experience but also beneficial to get knowledge about history. Secondly, people want to see harsh weather of Antarctica and want to learn how everyone can manage to live. Individuals for example, want to see penguins and their lives how they live. Thus, people are more going these kind of adventures touristy spots and make the most out of it.

Undoubtedly, there are few drawbacks of it. It is argued that due to increasing in a number of visitors, it can damage to the environment. This would mean that people are try to disturb the cycle of environment, and it impact on humans as well as animals. For instance, recently, a staggering report suggest that around ten percent increase in pollution after more and more people visit Antarctica and Sahara desert. As a result, it also impact on human lives. people are get more often sick due pollution.

In conclusion, while it has many benefits of visiting these adventures places, but it is not deny that it also has some drwbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both the benefits and disadvantages of visiting extreme locations. However, the development of ideas is limited. For instance, the point about 'knowledge about history' in the Sahara is mentioned but not explained or supported with specific examples. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the overall task completion. While the position is clear, the arguments lack the depth and extension required for a higher band score. To improve, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed reasoning and ensure you meet the minimum word count to fully develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'people are more going these kind of adventures touristy spots'. The logical progression is present but could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea. The conclusion is also quite brief and lacks a summary of the main points discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher levels. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'people are more going' and 'wonderful experience'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'adventures touristy spots' instead of 'adventure tourism destinations' and 'it is not deny' instead of 'it cannot be denied'. To improve, focus on learning more sophisticated collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to tourism and environmental impact. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetition and express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'Sahara desert and Antarctic gives' (subject-verb agreement), 'people are try to disturb' (incorrect verb form), and 'it also impact on human lives' (missing auxiliary or incorrect tense). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels disjointed. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tense usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately without errors that distract the reader.

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

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