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 finding out about the history of the houses or buildings they live in. There are several reasons for this trend, and people can use different methods to research the past of their homes.

Firstly, people may be interested in the history of their homes because they are curious about previous owners and important events that happened there. They may want to know when the building was constructed, who lived there and how it was used in the past. Moreover, old buildings may have historical or cultural value. Finding out about this history can give people a stronger connection with their home and local area.

There are several ways to research the history of a building. People can check government records, property documents and land registers to find information about previous owners and construction dates. They can also visit local libraries, museums and historical societies to find old photographs, maps and newspapers. Furthermore, talking to older neighbours or previous residents can provide useful information about the building.

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 local people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the reasons why people research their home's history (such as curiosity about previous owners and historical or cultural value) and how they can conduct this research (through government records, libraries, and talking to neighbours). Ideas are relevant, but because the essay contains only 220 words, it falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the development of ideas remains somewhat brief, preventing the response from achieving a higher band score. Despite this length penalty, the prompt is still reasonably well addressed in terms of content.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response displays a clear logical organisation with an appropriate overall arrangement. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with an introduction, moving to reasons, then research methods, and finishing with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'There are several ways', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader through the text, although referencing and transitions occasionally feel a bit standard and formulaic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases such as 'historical or cultural value', 'government records', 'property documents', and 'land registers' show a good grasp of topic-specific language. While there are few attempts at highly sophisticated or uncommon lexical items, the vocabulary used is precise enough to convey the intended meaning clearly. Spelling and word choice are accurate throughout, meaning communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Structures such as 'people may be interested in the history of their homes because they are curious about previous owners' demonstrate control over subordination. Punctuation and grammatical accuracy are generally very high, with the vast majority of sentences completely error-free. The minor errors that prevent an even higher score relate to the restricted range of complex structures attempted, keeping it firmly aligned with a solid band 7 performance.

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