Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 6.5)

In some countries, an increasing number of people are interested in learning about the history of the houses or buildings where they live. There are several reasons for this growing interest, and people can use different methods to find information about the past.

One main reason is curiosity. People often want to know who lived in their house before them and what happened there in the past. Knowing the history of a building can also create a stronger connection with the place where people live. For example, if a family discovers that their house was built by an important local person many years ago, they may feel more proud of their home. Another reason is that old buildings may have cultural or architectural value. Therefore, residents may want to understand their importance and protect them from unnecessary changes.

There are several ways to research the history of a house. First, people can visit local government offices or land-record departments to find information about previous owners, construction dates and changes in ownership. Old newspapers, maps and historical documents can also provide useful information. Secondly, people can ask older residents in the neighbourhood because they may remember important events or previous families who lived in the building. Finally, the internet can be a convenient source of information. Historical websites, digital libraries and online property records can help people find photographs and documents about old buildings.

In conclusion, people are increasingly interested in the history of their homes because of curiosity, personal attachment and cultural value. They can research this history through official records, local residents, historical documents and online sources.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt clearly. You have identified logical reasons for the interest in building history, such as curiosity and cultural value, and provided practical research methods like consulting government records and local residents. The ideas are relevant and well-developed. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific, illustrative examples—for instance, mentioning a specific type of historical document or a common digital platform—to further extend your arguments. Overall, the position is clear and the response is fully relevant to the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'One main reason', 'Another reason', 'First', and 'Secondly', which help guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the text. To improve, you could vary your linking phrases slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel, but the current structure is effective and coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'architectural value', 'land-record departments', and 'historical documents' are appropriate for the context. However, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations or less common lexical items (e.g., instead of 'important local person', use 'prominent historical figure'). The spelling is accurate throughout, and your word choices are consistently clear and appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is accurate. You use complex structures effectively, such as the conditional sentence 'if a family discovers that their house was built by an important local person... they may feel more proud'. While the grammar is solid, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Incorporating a wider variety of subordinate clauses or passive constructions would help demonstrate greater flexibility and push your score higher.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.