Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-06

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 sad but true that, in a few countries, more and more individuals are becoming curious about finding out about the history of the house or monument they stay in. There could be multiple reasons for such a situation; however, a few proactive suggestions can help to address the issue about the history of the house they live in. Both the possible motives as well as the measures are discussed in the upcoming paragraphs with valid reasons and examples.

Scrutinizing the reasons from the grass-roots level, the foremost one is to learn the skill of carving by hand. In the past, laborers could draw paintings using their carving skills, which means people wanted to know how to make these. For example, in ancient times, there were multiple kings, so they carved different types of animals and birds in their royal palaces. Moreover, some buildings have historical or cultural importance. People need to know if their house has any connection with any ancient building. For example, an old house may have been used as a meeting place during an important historical event.

In order to situation, some steps can be taken. To begin with, all people can check official government records about history, and they can also find it in library books. In these records, all things are mentioned with full proof, so they can check it and find out where it is. For instance, we all know about the Taj Mahal, but we have to know the past about the Taj Mahal, how it was made, and when we have to check government records. To add to this, people can also ask previous owners and local communities who have been living there from ancient times. Therefore, they know the past about it, so we can find it from there.

To sum up, people are increasingly interested in the history of their homes because of their curiosity about the past and the potential value of historical properties. They can research this information by checking official records, searching online sources and speaking to previous owners or local residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: you suggest curiosity about the past and the historical or cultural significance of a property as reasons, then mention government records, library books, previous owners and local residents as research methods. However, the reasons are only partly explained. The discussion of carving and royal palaces does not clearly show why people today want to investigate the history of their own homes, and the example of the Taj Mahal is not closely connected to researching a private residence. The conclusion adds online sources, but this method is not explained in the main body. Develop each reason with a clear link to the question and use examples that directly illustrate how someone could investigate their own building.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for reasons and research methods, and a concluding summary. Signposting such as “Moreover,” “To begin with,” and “To sum up” helps readers follow the main stages. However, some connections between ideas are unclear or mechanical. For example, “In order to situation” does not establish a clear transition, while “Therefore, they know the past about it” repeats the preceding point without showing how the information would be verified. The introduction also promises “measures” to address an “issue,” although the task asks how people can research the history. Use transitions that reflect the relationship between ideas, and make references such as “it” and “there” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “historical or cultural importance,” “official government records,” and “previous owners.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “Scrutinizing the reasons” and “proactive suggestions.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise and make parts of the argument harder to understand: “the skill of carving by hand” is not clearly relevant to the question, “the past about the Taj Mahal” is awkward, and “from ancient times” overstates how long local residents may have lived there. Some phrases, including “all things are mentioned with full proof,” are also unclear. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and choose vocabulary that expresses the intended reason or research method directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “which means,” “if,” and “because,” and most of the main ideas remain understandable. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or awkwardly formed. “In order to situation” lacks a grammatical construction, and “how it was made, and when we have to check government records” does not form a clear, parallel question or clause. In “people wanted to know how to make these,” the reference of “these” is unclear, while “people can also find it in library books” has an uncertain pronoun reference. Work on complete clause structures, parallel phrasing, and clear pronoun references; these changes would make your varied sentences more controlled and easier to follow.

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.