Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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)

In today's modern world, a greater number of people are more likely prefer to visit places having difficult conditions, such as Sahara desert or the Antarctic. Although, it has various advantages, it has also some drawbacks. This essay will discuss main benefits and disadvantage of this trend.

Firstly, the main significant benefit of this trend is that, it helps the tourists to explore these locations and learn about these places. Moreover, it gives a opportunity to tourists to share their knowledge about the environment after visiting these sites. For example, young people are usually going there to make videos about the drastic condition of Sahara desert to show viewers their physical power. Therefore, people are visiting these in a greater number to fulfill their different goals like some wants to educate the humans or some only wants to earn views by making live videos of Antarctic area.

Secondly, along with advantages it has also plenty of negative effects to visit these areas. The first and foremost drawback is that due to its varying climate sometimes it is difficult to survive for visitors. Furthermore, it would leads to negative effects on the life of tourists such as severe hot weather in Sahara desert would results in death of wildlife. For instance, due to extreme cold, visitors have to face many difficulties and make unable them to move outside from their residence in the Antarctic site. Thus, visitors who usually prefer to go there, would have to face challenges during their stay.

In conclusion, along with its several advantages like it increase knowledge of tourists, also has many negative consequences on visitors life thus the individuals who are visiting these areas would take precautions and also reduce unnecessary visits to that difficult locations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question, identifying learning and sharing knowledge as benefits and survival risks as a disadvantage. The examples about making videos and facing extreme temperatures are relevant, and your conclusion recommends precautions. However, the benefits are not fully explained: for instance, the video-making example focuses on gaining views or demonstrating physical ability rather than showing clearly what tourists learn or how this benefits them. The discussion of wildlife also shifts away from the question of disadvantages for tourists. Develop each point with a clearer explanation of its effect on visitors, and make the main benefits and drawbacks more specific and balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the structure. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and links between ideas are not always clear. In the first body paragraph, the move from learning about locations to making videos and earning views feels abrupt; the relationship between these examples needs explanation. The sentence beginning “Furthermore” also combines visitor survival with effects on wildlife, making the paragraph’s focus less consistent. Use transitions that show the precise relationship between points, and keep each paragraph centred on one clear line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “drastic condition,” “varying climate,” “extreme cold,” and “precautions,” which helps communicate the subject. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the intended meaning less clear. For example, “share their knowledge about the environment” is broad, while “show viewers their physical power” and “negative effects on the life of tourists” are not natural expressions in this context. Repeated use of “difficult,” “visitors,” and “areas” also limits precision. Build a more accurate range for describing risks and benefits, such as exposure, isolation, survival, and environmental awareness, and check how words combine in natural phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “Although,” “such as,” and “due to.” However, errors occur frequently in sentence construction and verb forms, and they sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “people are more likely prefer,” “it gives a opportunity,” “it would leads,” and “would results in death.” There are also problems with articles and agreement, as in “the Sahara desert” being introduced without “the” and “some wants.” The opening “Although” clause is not correctly connected to the main clause. Practise accurate verb patterns after modal verbs and “likely,” article use, and complete sentence structures before adding more complex clauses.

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