Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07
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)
It is a well-known fact that houses play an important role in humans life. Great number of people from different countries are getting more interested in knowing about the past of the houses they are living in. The reason for this phenomenon and the solution for peoples research will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
To begin with, safety issues is the foremost reason for this phenomenon. People are curious about their homes security. For instance, making sure the buildings have proper safety exists for the worse situation. There is huge difference between the safety measures of the past and present. For example, the recent collapse of the hostel building in Delhi, due to weak base structure as well as absences of escape routes ;result in great life loss of the students and trauma for parents also.
On the other hand, number of research carried out by the people who are going to make an investment by purchasing the house or flat have been increased in the present. People contact more middle men to ensure the safety of the house. Making more
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 182 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay introduces the topic, it fails to address the second part of the prompt—'How can people research this?'—in any meaningful way, as the text cuts off abruptly. The ideas presented regarding safety are somewhat tangential to the common reasons for researching building history, which usually involve historical interest or architectural heritage. Due to the incomplete nature of the response and the failure to address all parts of the prompt, the score is limited.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand' to signal structure. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is unfinished, which disrupts the logical flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a conclusion and the abrupt ending prevent the essay from demonstrating a coherent overall argument. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is mechanical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'humans life' instead of 'human life' and 'safety exists' instead of 'safety exits'. The phrase 'middle men' is informal and imprecise in this context. The student relies on simple, repetitive vocabulary, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic language that would demonstrate a more sophisticated command of English.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'Great number of people' (missing article), 'safety issues is' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'absences of escape routes ;result in' (incorrect punctuation and tense usage). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not completely impede communication. The control over punctuation is weak, particularly with the misuse of the semicolon and the incomplete sentence structure at the end of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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