Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-13

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)

As far as this topic is concerned, more and more people are becoming interested in discovering the history of their houses or buildings. There are several reasons for this trend, and people can use different sources to find information about the past.

Firstly, people may want to know about the history of their homes because they are curious about their property and its previous owners. They may want to discover when the building was constructed, who lived there and how it was used in the past. Moreover, some houses are very old and may have historical or cultural importance. Learning about such history can give residents a stronger connection with their home and local community.

There are several ways to research the history of a building. People can check old government records, property documents and land registers. They can also visit local libraries, museums or historical societies, where old photographs, maps and newspapers may be available. Furthermore, they can speak to previous owners, neighbours or older members of the local community who may have useful information.

In conclusion, people are increasingly interested in the history of their homes because of curiosity, personal interest and the historical value of old buildings. They can research this information through official records, libraries, museums, old photographs and conversations with local people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the reasons for researching building history (curiosity, historical value) and methods for doing so (government records, libraries, speaking to locals). The ideas are relevant and generally clear. However, the length requirement has not been met, as the text contains 217 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum specified in the task instructions. Because the response is under-length, the development of ideas is somewhat concise and lacks full expansion, keeping the task achievement score at a Band 6.0. To improve, ensure you fully develop your examples and extend your explanations to comfortably exceed the word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with a logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, such as the second paragraph focusing on reasons and the third on research methods. Cohesive devices are used adequately, including transition words like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore', though some connections feel a bit formulaic. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the prompt. Referencing is generally clear, resulting in a solid Band 7.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'historical or cultural importance', 'land registers', and 'historical societies'. There are attempts at less common phrasing, and word choices are mostly accurate. Spelling and word formation are correct throughout the response. While the vocabulary is sufficient for clear communication, it lacks the broader flexibility, precision, and sophistication characteristic of higher bands. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is awarded for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The text displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Learning about such history can give residents a stronger connection with their home and local community.' There is good control of grammatical structures and punctuation, with frequent error-free sentences throughout the essay. The few errors that might be expected at higher bands are largely absent here, indicating a solid command of grammar, though the structural range is somewhat standard rather than wide and flexible. This places the response comfortably at a Band 7.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.

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.