Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-10

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)

Nowadays, many travellers visit challenging environments such as the Antarctic and the Sahara desert. In my opinion, this trend has more benefits, but there are some disadvantages as well.

To begin with, the main benefit of going to these places is that tourists can gain a valuable experience. when tourists visit these places they see the struggle of local people, how they can survive in extreme hot and cold weather. Moreover, they also enjoy the culture, food and rituals of the place. Visitors can also earn money by streaming their adventures on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. These social media platforms also pay money to their users which also helps tourists financially. This type of tourism can also create employment opportunities for local public. People also set up shops of food, cultural wear and other basic items near the tourist site.

On the other hand, visiting such places can be dangerous due to extreme weather conditions. Explorers may face too hot and cold temperatures, which can cause severe health problems. For example, travellers visiting the Sahara desert may suffer from dehydration because of intense heat. As a result, there lives may be at risk if they do not follow proper safety precautions. Tourism can also affect the environment of that place because tourists can leave garbage and disturb the wildlife in remote areas.

Overall, tourism can help local people financially, but it also affects the environment

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the question and give a clear overall view that the trend has more benefits. Relevant benefits include gaining experience, learning about local life, and creating jobs; you also identify health risks and environmental damage. However, some points are not fully explained: the claim that tourists can earn money by streaming is less directly connected to the benefits of visiting difficult places, and the discussion of local culture could explain more clearly what visitors learn. The conclusion briefly repeats the financial and environmental points without drawing together the personal advantages and risks. The response is 10 words below the required minimum, so add relevant development rather than padding—for example, explain how visitors can reduce risks or protect fragile environments.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a benefits paragraph, a disadvantages paragraph, and a brief conclusion. Signposting such as “To begin with,” “Moreover,” and “On the other hand” helps readers follow the shift between ideas, and the examples generally appear beside the points they support. This coherent structure meets the task well. Some links are mechanical, however, with repeated “also” and “which also” in the benefits paragraph. The final sentence is very brief and does not fully connect the discussion back to your stated view. To strengthen progression, group related benefits together, vary linking methods, and use the conclusion to summarise both sides and reaffirm your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “extreme weather conditions,” “dehydration,” “employment opportunities,” and “wildlife,” which makes the main ideas clear. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “cultural wear” and “safety precautions.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “extreme hot and cold weather” and “too hot and cold temperatures” could be expressed more naturally, while “local public” is not the usual phrase for residents. “Streaming their adventures” is understandable but could be made more precise by referring to sharing or monetising travel content. Check spelling and capitalisation in “YouTube,” and avoid unnecessary repetition of general words such as “places.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional clause in “if they do not follow proper safety precautions” and a cause-and-effect sentence beginning “As a result.” Most ideas remain understandable, and the paragraph structure gives you opportunities to show varied grammar. Some errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, and possessives remain. For example, “when tourists visit these places” should begin with a capital letter after the full stop, and “there lives may be at risk” should be “their lives may be at risk.” The opening “Nowadays” sentence in the benefits paragraph also needs clearer punctuation or restructuring. Review these details and aim for more consistently accurate complex sentences.

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