Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02

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 7.5)

In recent times, an increasing number of individuals have been captivated by the idea of uncovering the historical background of their residential edifices. This essay will delve into the rationale behind this growing fascination, as well as the methods available for conducting such inquiries.

Firstly, one primary motivation for exploring the past of a dwelling may be the desire to assess its long-term structural stability and maintenance requirements. Older constructions have, over time, undergone various repairs and renovations, which might impact their current condition. Being cognizant of a building’s backstory can empower its inhabitants to make informed decisions, ensuring the safety and preservation of their homes. For instance, awareness of previous termite infestations would prompt the residents to take appropriate preventative measures to avoid a recurrence.

Another reason for this burgeoning interest in a domicile’s history might stem from curiosity regarding potential paranormal or supernatural occurrences within the premises. Such phenomenon has long captured the human imagination, and many seek to either confirm or debunk these tales. By learning about previous occupants and their experiences, current residents can either embrace the building’s supernatural history or put their minds at ease. For example, a family might become intrigued by a local urban legend surrounding their home, prompting them to research its veracity.

Various approaches can be employed in the quest for historical information. One effective method is participating in local history walks or tours. These events, usually organized by historical societies and community groups, provide a wealth of information on the region’s architectural heritage and often reveal vestiges of the past related to individual buildings. Furthermore, individuals can consult public records, such as land registries and census data, to piece together a chronological narrative of their dwelling’s past.

In conclusion, the growing interest in a building’s history can be attributed to a range of factors, including assessing structural stability and supernatural occurrences. While local history tours offer an engaging way to learn about the past, a more comprehensive understanding can be achieved through the examination of public records. By doing so, individuals can gain a deeper appreciation for their homes and the stories they hold.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring both the reasons behind the trend and the methods for conducting research. Your position is clear throughout the essay. Ideas are well-extended and supported, such as when you explain how structural awareness helps homeowners manage maintenance, or when you illustrate paranormal curiosity with the example of local urban legends. However, to reach the highest performance levels, the arguments could benefit from even deeper elaboration or slightly more nuanced real-world examples rather than generalisations. Nevertheless, all prompt requirements are met effectively with relevant, well-structured thoughts that demonstrate a clear understanding of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Your essay demonstrates a clear, logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a solid introduction, moving through well-delineated body paragraphs addressing reasons and methods respectively, and concluding neatly. You use cohesive devices flexibly and appropriately, such as 'Another reason', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion', which guide the reader smoothly through your arguments. Referencing is handled well, ensuring that pronouns and demonstratives like 'this growing fascination' and 'By doing so' clearly link back to preceding clauses without confusion. To move even higher, you could make your transitional phrases slightly more varied and less formulaic, avoiding mechanical paragraph openings.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

You display a sufficient vocabulary range that allows for flexibility and precision, successfully utilising less common lexical items such as 'edifices', 'cognizant', 'burgeoning', 'domicile', 'veracity', and 'vestiges'. There is a good awareness of style and collocation demonstrated throughout the text. While minor slips occur occasionally—such as the phrase 'Such phenomenon', where number agreement is slightly off given that 'phenomenon' is singular and you used a plural verb form later—these do not impede communication. Your control of word choice is generally strong, and elevating this to a higher band would require a consistently wider use of sophisticated, idiomatic phrasing with absolute precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

You make use of a wide variety of complex sentence structures with frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating good overall control of grammar and punctuation. Your employment of subordinate clauses, participial phrases, and conditional structures—as seen in 'Being cognizant of a building’s backstory can empower its inhabitants...'—is ambitious and mostly accurate. A few minor errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement with 'Such phenomenon has' where 'phenomena' was likely intended, but these errors do not detract from the clarity of your writing. Maintaining this level of complex sentence creation while reducing minor slips to rare occurrences will bring your grammatical control even closer to perfection.

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