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 many countries, when people are buying a new property they seem to be concerned about the history of the property due to several reasons. They want to have knowledge about the age of the building and the materials which are used in the construction of that property. Also they can get estimate worth of the house of building by knowing purchasing history.
The history of a property provides the age of that property. By knowing the age, buyers can predict about the architect and design of that era which provide them an overview of the property when it was constructed. Sometimes buyers demand the history of material which was used to build that property and also require repairing history. It provides the estimation of reliability of that building. Buyers can also demand for the purchasing history of a house or building because they can check , how many times property has been sold or purchased and which was the last selling price of the property so they can offer a suitable price.
There are many methods to check the history of a building but the major ways are online apps and government municipal offices. There are many online apps which require property number and they provide information about the construction history of a house or building. For instance, there is an app in the USA, which gives information about the history, and material was used in a property. Furthermore, these apps can provide last sold price. Municipal offices can provide you a brief history. In addition, a customer can know about the significant modification and changes that have been made during the time.
It is concluded that reliability is a major concern regarding the history of a property which can be checked by online apps or municipal offices.
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 property history and methods for research. The ideas are relevant, such as checking construction materials and financial history. However, the development is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the second paragraph focuses heavily on 'age' and 'materials' without providing deep insight into why these are significant beyond basic reliability. The conclusion is brief and does not add new value. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why'—perhaps discussing the emotional connection to heritage or the desire for investment security—and provide more specific, illustrative examples rather than general statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the phrase 'There are many' is used to start multiple sentences in the third paragraph, and transitions between sentences could be more varied. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better connect the 'reasons' to the 'methods'.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'municipal offices' and 'construction history'. However, the range is limited, and there is noticeable repetition of basic words like 'property', 'house', and 'building'. To improve, you should incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to real estate and historical research, such as 'architectural integrity', 'property provenance', or 'public records'. Some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'predict about the architect', which should be 'infer information about the architect'.
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 several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the materials which are used' (passive voice could be more concise), 'predict about the architect', and 'the house of building' (likely a typo for 'or'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, such as the unnecessary space before the comma in 'check , how many times'. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure greater precision in article usage and prepositional phrases.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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