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 them understand old things. In many countries, more people are interested in finding out about the ancient of the houses 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 about the history of their homes. Firstly, many people are curious about the previous owners and events. Secondly, they wan to learn house experienced floods or fires so they can take some actions for repairment.

In addition, old houses with historical backgrounds may be worth more. Historic buildings often attract more buyers because of their cultural value. 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 to live in a historic site.

On the other hand, individuals can research this using many ways. People can obtain data from government departments. Also, from old books or local municipal offices through which can get history. In addition, people can also research old maps, newspapers and historical documents. Apart from that, they use social media and the internet browser they provide wide range of details. For instance, individuals hire property experts for survey so they can easily obtain property 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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for interest in building history and methods for research. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'safety' (floods/fires) is mentioned but not fully explained, and the connection between 'wealth and power' and historical buildings is vague. While the essay covers the requirements, the arguments lack depth and specific supporting examples from personal experience or broader knowledge, which prevents it from reaching a higher band. The position is clear, but the supporting points remain at a surface level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand', which help the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'through which can get history' or 'they use social media and the internet browser they provide wide range of details', which creates a slight lack of fluency. Paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be smoother to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'historical backgrounds' and 'cultural value'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'ancient of the houses' (instead of 'history of the houses') and 'take some actions for repairment' (instead of 'repairs'). The range is sufficient to communicate, but the lack of precision and occasional awkward phrasing limits the score in this criterion.

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 'they wan to learn house experienced floods' (missing subject/verb agreement and articles) and 'through which can get history' (missing subject). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction that require the reader to re-read occasionally. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are grammatically complete.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.