Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-08
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)
In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. In this essay we will discuss the reasons for this and how can people research about this.
One reason for being curious or interested about finding about the history of the house or building they are living in can be for many safety reason. Like, people need to find out who used to live here before them, is it safe to live here, as no one knows how the landlord can be or the previous person living there must have done some illegal activities which can lead to huge issues to the new people living there. Other reason can be for paranormal activities. If someone died in that house, sometimes it can be haunted and can play a negative impact on the people living there.
People can research in many ways such as finding about the history of the house of building from the owner or the landlord of the house. It is very important to research for safety reasons, if not the owner then people can ask from the neighbour about who used to live here and if they were nice or bad. Also there's another way to find out is from google, or any other sites which have information related to the house or the building.
In conclusion, people should definitely research about the house or the building before shifting for safety reasons, however not every apartment is bad.
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 interest in building history and methods of research. However, the development of these ideas is limited. The reasons provided—safety and paranormal activity—are somewhat narrow and lack depth. The research methods mentioned (asking landlords/neighbors and using Google) are relevant but described in a simplistic manner. To achieve a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or specific examples. For instance, you could discuss the cultural or architectural significance of historical buildings rather than focusing primarily on safety concerns, which makes the essay feel slightly repetitive and underdeveloped.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'One reason for...' and 'Other reason can be...' are used, but there is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'if not the owner then people can ask from the neighbour', which lacks a smooth transition. Improving the variety of your linking expressions and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', 'nice', and 'huge'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'play a negative impact' (should be 'have a negative impact') and 'shifting' (which is informal; 'moving' or 'relocating' would be more appropriate). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to history, architecture, or investigative research. Using more precise adjectives and verbs will help you convey your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'how can people research about this' is an indirect question and should be phrased as 'how people can research this'. There are also issues with article usage ('the history of the house of building') and prepositional errors ('ask from the neighbour'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct structure of indirect questions to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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