Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-17

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, an increasing number of people are interested in discovering the history of the house or building where they live in. This essay will discuss the main reasons for the growing interest and several ways in which people can research the history of a house.

There are several reasons why people want to learn about the background of their houses. First, people are often curious about who lived there before them and why they leave the house. Knowing this information can make a strong connection with their home. Secondly, people may wonder when and why this house was built. Historical information is important because how this house was built and which material was used to built this house is also an important fact. In addition, learning about previous owner, about their behavior, about their status can be also interesting.

There are various ways to investigate the history of a house. The most useful way is to search official records. Check land records and property documents, find previous owners and construction dates. also local government offices may have useful information. Talking with the older neighbors can be another safe way, because they are living near the house for long time so they can provides a clear information regarding the house. Internet and libraries can be a good place for searching information. Searching for old photos and in old newspaper can give additional information about the house. Historical maps can also show how the area has changed over the years.

In conclusion, peoples growing interest in the history of their homes is mainly for the curiosity, a desire to understand about local community and the political environment of this place. I believe this is a good habit, it makes a good connection between us and around peoples.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the interest and methods for research. The ideas are relevant, such as curiosity about previous occupants and the use of official records. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the reasons provided in the second paragraph are repetitive and lack depth, and the research methods in the third paragraph are listed rather than explained in detail. To improve, you should expand on 'why' these methods are effective or provide a specific example of how a historical map might reveal changes in a neighborhood. The position is clear, but the overall development remains at a basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'also local government offices may have useful information' (which lacks a proper connector) and 'because they are living near the house for long time'. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is logical, though the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use basic terms like 'good', 'useful', and 'information' repeatedly. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'make a strong connection' (better: 'establish a sense of connection') and 'provides a clear information' (information is uncountable). While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'official records' and 'property documents', the range is limited. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items related to history and research, such as 'archival records', 'genealogical research', or 'architectural heritage'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include: 'where they live in' (redundant 'in'), 'why they leave the house' (tense error: should be 'left'), 'which material was used to built' (should be 'build'), and 'peoples growing interest' (missing apostrophe). Additionally, subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they indicate a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on proofreading for basic tense consistency and article usage would significantly improve your score.

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

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