Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in.
What are the reasons for this?
How can people research this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
History plays a significant role in everyone's life because it helps people to understand old things. In many countries, more people are interested in finding out about the ancient house or buildings they live in. This essay will discuss the reasons for this trend and the ways people can research such information.
To begin with, there are many reasons why people want to learn past history. Firstly, many people are curious about the previous owners and the events. Secondly, they want to know about problems, such as floods or fires so anything happens during any times, they can survive it and learn from it. In addition, old houses with historical backgrounds may be worth more. Old buildings attract more buyers. Moreover, people want to preserve ancient heritage. For example, old buildings and houses may increase a person’s wealth and power also, they feel proud of living in a historic site.
On the other hand, individuals research this using many ways. People get data from the government department. Also, from old books or local municipal offices through which can get history. In addition, society can research from old maps, newspapers and historical documents. Apart from that, they use social media and internet browser they provide wide range of details. For instance, individuals hire experts for survey so they can easily find out the property and records.
In conclusion, people are interested in learning about the history of their houses for reasons such as curiosity, safety and financial value. They can get data by checking past records, visiting libraries, searching online.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the interest in historical buildings and methods for researching them. The ideas are relevant, such as curiosity, safety, and financial value. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the link between knowing about past floods and 'surviving' is not clearly explained, and the point about 'wealth and power' is a bit vague. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples with more specific detail or logical explanation. The position is clear throughout, and the response covers all requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Firstly', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand'. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by better linking sentences together. For example, the transition between discussing 'previous owners' and 'floods' is abrupt. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'historical backgrounds', 'ancient heritage', and 'municipal offices'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'learn past history' (better: 'learn about history') and 'so anything happens during any times' (which is unclear). To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express your ideas with more sophistication and nuance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'through which can get history' (missing subject) and 'internet browser they provide' (run-on/comma splice). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often slightly faulty. To achieve a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining your use of relative clauses and conjunctions to create more error-free, complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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