Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23
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)
Today in some countries, more and more people are become enthusiastic in finding out about the history of the house or the build in which they live in.
Some houses are passed down to generations in the same family, some 600 or even more older houses still exist and people live in their homes and protect their culture and heritage, younger generations now are pretty enthusiastic about the history of their place in which they live in, a large number of houses in Istanbul have seen four different construction era, the same building, roman era construction, Usmani sultanate era construction and some other older and newer constructions, more and more people are interested to find about the history of their house or building they live in.
People would like to know about it, if in past any famous celebrity lived there or anything related to an event or something similar.
To know about the history of their house or building they live in, they can check it on the internet, research about different era's like ancient, roman, sultanate and modern times, they can look for any famous activity happened around their house any famous personality lived there in the past or any news articles or blogs on their property available online, this will pretty much cover everything the might need to know of. Secondly the can ask the local elders in their surroundings, question them about the history of their home any major event related to it, or government records also has the information of such historical buildings.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the interest and methods of research. However, the development is quite limited. The reasons provided—such as family heritage or celebrity connections—are mentioned but not fully explored or supported with depth. The section on research methods is also somewhat superficial, relying on general suggestions like 'check it on the internet'. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand on your ideas with more specific examples or logical explanations. The structure is also somewhat repetitive, as the introduction and the first paragraph restate the same points about houses in Istanbul multiple times.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear structure. It is essentially composed of two long, dense paragraphs rather than a standard introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The progression of ideas is disjointed, particularly in the first paragraph, where sentences are strung together with commas rather than being linked by logical connectors. Cohesive devices are used sparingly and sometimes incorrectly, such as the abrupt transition 'Secondly the can ask'. Paragraphing is insufficient, which makes the essay feel like a collection of thoughts rather than a cohesive argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'house or building they live in' are repeated multiple times, which impacts the flow. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'construction era' instead of 'architectural period' and 'Usmani sultanate' (Ottoman Empire). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You should aim to use more academic synonyms and avoid repeating the exact wording of the prompt.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('people are become'), missing articles, and run-on sentences. Many sentences are structurally simple or repetitive. For example, 'the same building, roman era construction, Usmani sultanate era construction' is a fragmented list that lacks a clear grammatical structure. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with many comma splices. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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