Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

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)

Curiosity is one of the most intriging attributes of the humankind. In a few countries, many people are showing their interest in the historical background of their houses. There can be multiple reasons for the growth of such interest which will be discussed further in the essay along with practical solutions for the same.

One of the prime reasons is the personal safety. Knowing about how old the building is will help the individual to figure out the potential repair that could be required in the future. Knowledge about the purpose for which the building was used in the past can assist the person to install appropriate measure to combat various consequences. For instance, a watch factory turned into a residential building will have a lot of metal residues in solid or vapor form, therefore appropriate devices can be installed to minimize their harmful effects. Such awareness can be obtained from the real estate agents involved in sales of such buildings. Aid from various private and government organizations can also be opted for this purpose.

For the people belonging to the royal families, show a keen interest in knowing about the history of their palace or forts as it helps them understand their monarchy of past. The architecture and infrastructure helps them create a sense of belonging to their house with educating them about the historical reference with can be used for a commercial purpose. People who believe in supernatural things, are eager to know about any such relation of it with their houses, like a death that has happened in that house. Such knowledge helps to retain their psychological stability. Internet is the most common way to gain such awareness. Talking the the locals living in that area can also be a good methos to find out about the history.

Overall, having such a curiosity is quite common for people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the interest in building history and methods for research. The ideas are relevant, such as safety concerns and historical curiosity. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The point about royal families is slightly tangential to the general population, and the explanation regarding 'supernatural things' lacks depth. While the essay covers the requirements, the arguments could be more thoroughly supported with more specific examples or a more logical flow of ideas to reach a higher band. The conclusion is also quite abrupt and does not effectively summarize the main points discussed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a clear introduction and body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'for the same' or 'with educating them'. The transition between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the jump from royal families to supernatural beliefs feels abrupt. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional awkward phrasing prevent a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'intriging' (spelled incorrectly as 'intriging' instead of 'intriguing'), 'monarchy', and 'psychological stability'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice or minor errors, such as 'appropriate measure' (should be plural 'measures') and 'methos' (spelling error for 'method'). The range is sufficient to discuss the topic, but more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary would be needed for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'For the people belonging to the royal families, show a keen interest' (incorrect subject-verb structure) and 'with educating them' (incorrect preposition usage). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and spelling issues, such as 'Talking the the locals' (repetition of 'the'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires more frequent error-free sentences and better control over complex structures.

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

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