Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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)

There can be multiple reasons why more and more people want to know about the past of the place they live in.

The first reason might be the peace of mind. People who are either buying the place or renting it would prefer to know how old that house or the building is. By this means, they can also estimate the price and make their informed decision whether they should buy or rent it. The older the house, the more chances of regular maintenance required.

The other reason can be that the people love to know that the place they are living in has connections with some famous people or events of the past.

For example, one of my friends bought a house in the walled city of Lahore. The cost for that house was high than the houses surrounding it. First, my friend thought that the price of the house doesn't worth it. Later, he found that the house used to be in the ownership of famous local poet. So, he bought that house.

There are several ways to find out the history for that place. People can connect with the owner of that place and ask them. The other options are to ask the people who already lives in that area. Last but not least, people can research about the history of the place on the internet. If there's any landmark nearby, they can check its history and there are more chances that people can find out the history of that place as well.

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. The reasons provided—maintenance costs and historical connections—are relevant but could be expanded with more depth. The research methods are also quite basic, focusing on asking neighbors or using the internet. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed examples or explore more sophisticated research avenues, such as local archives, municipal records, or historical societies. The response is clear, but the lack of depth in the supporting arguments prevents it from reaching the higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for reasons and methods, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'The first reason', 'The other reason', 'The other options'). While there is some referencing, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to create a more natural, sophisticated connection between ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall structure feels a bit formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'maintenance', 'ownership', and 'landmark', but there is a reliance on basic phrasing. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'the price of the house doesn't worth it' (should be 'isn't worth it') and 'high than the houses' (should be 'higher than'). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary related to architecture, history, and real estate.

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 history of the place' is used repeatedly where 'its history' would be more natural. You also have errors in verb forms and comparative structures, such as 'the cost for that house was high than' and 'the house used to be in the ownership of famous local poet' (missing an article). These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a lack of consistent control over complex structures.

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

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