Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Nowadays, in many countries an increasing number of individuals are becoming interested in searching about the past of the house and building they live in. I believe it is because they want to identify how old is this building, and its construction for their own safety. As well as because of their curiosity regarding the building. To identify it they can directly communicate with the owner of the house.

One of the main reasons to check the history of old constructions is people can have curiosity regarding the past of their houses. Another reason can be they want to be safe, and for safety of their families they can identify the year of construction, and durability of their houses. For example, many house buyers prefer to know about the construction year of the building with other details of house before owning the house.

To research regarding buildings construction they can simply ask the owner of the house to determine how long the building is still standing. Also, they can identify it by their own with the assist of civil engineer he can provide a detailed view of the building. For instance, many owners prefer to take advice from a civil engineer before purchasing the house.

To conclude, the main reasons behind finding out about the past of old constructions is can be because of people's curiosity, and because of safety reasons. However, they can simply identify it by the help of civil engineer, and by directly asking to owner regarding their house.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: curiosity and safety are given as reasons, and asking the owner or consulting a civil engineer are offered as research methods. These points are relevant, but the response remains limited in development, which is why the task is only partially fulfilled. For example, “curiosity regarding the past” is repeated without explaining what people hope to discover, while the safety point focuses mainly on the construction year and durability. The research section could also cover practical sources such as property records, local archives, previous residents, or historical maps. Your examples about buyers are relevant, but they do not explain the research process in much detail. Develop each reason and method with a specific explanation or example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for reasons and research methods, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the main topics. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and several links are repetitive or awkward. For instance, “Another reason can be” and “Also” introduce points without showing how they relate, while the conclusion repeats the same reasons and methods rather than drawing them together. The opening also presents the reasons and method briefly before the body develops them. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each explanation to its example; vary linking expressions and use pronouns or concise references to avoid repeating “the house/building” and “identify it.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “construction year,” “durability,” “civil engineer,” and “safety.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “identify” and “regarding.” Some word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “searching about the past,” “old constructions,” and “with the assist of civil engineer.” These choices make parts of the response less fluent, even though the intended meaning is generally understandable. Aim for more natural collocations and a wider range of terms for historical research and property condition. For example, you could refer to a building’s “history,” “structural condition,” or “property records,” depending on the point you are making.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use basic structures to explain reasons and methods, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to affect fluency. Examples include “how old is this building,” where indirect-question word order is needed, and “the main reasons … is can be,” which has an incorrect verb construction. The sentence beginning “As well as because” is a fragment, and “with the assist of civil engineer he can provide” lacks a clear grammatical connection between clauses. Articles and prepositions also need attention in phrases such as “ask to owner.” Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, then add subordinate clauses accurately; check subject–verb agreement, articles, and punctuation when editing.

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