Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14
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 6.0)
The rising interest in the history of the property where the residents live is an ambiguous topic. The reason varies for different indivisuals living in different areas.
Most people become interested in the history of their houses because of some old folktale passed down in the community. The folktale usually revolves around some murder case or some other criminal activity attached to the house's history. This is concerning for the residents for many reasons. One major reason being that such incidents bring down property value making property resale non-profitable. Another reason is that it raises concerns among other households in the community, which result in discriminative behavior.
However, some people just want to know about the structural integrity of their houses. They check past renovations, building materials and damage to evaluate safety or plan maintenance.
While others just want to develop an emotional bond with their houses by connecting to its past. Examples of such homeowners can be found on reality T.V shows where they dig up the ancestoral past of their houses. As, homeowners discovering that their Victorian-era house originally accomodated a local blacksmith or a working class family creates an immediate bridge to the past, making daily life feel more meaningful.
Additionall, people can research about the history of their houses by searching official goverment documents and municipal records. They could look for land registers, tax record, building permits and city planing departments for construction dates and past owners. They could also search in the local libraries and local archives for historical maps and old newspapers, while listening to oral stories passed down in the neighborhood is also an effective way to unravel the past of one's house.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses both questions and gives several relevant reasons: concern about a house’s reputation and resale value, checking structural safety, and forming an emotional connection with the property. The research methods are also specific, including land registers, building permits, archives, newspapers, and oral accounts. The example of a Victorian-era home adds useful support. This meets the task well, with some elements showing the fuller development expected at a stronger level. However, the opening claim that interest is “ambiguous” is not clearly explained, and the folktale discussion focuses more on possible consequences than on why people want to investigate the history. Develop that motivation more explicitly and extend the structural-safety point with a brief example.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay has a coherent overall arrangement: it moves from reasons for investigating a property’s past to ways of researching it, and paragraph breaks help distinguish these sections. Linking expressions such as “However,” “While,” and “Additionally” guide the reader through the main points. At times, though, the progression feels mechanical or the connections are unclear. “While others” begins a fragment-like transition after the previous paragraph, and “This is concerning” has an uncertain reference: it could refer to the folktale or the incidents themselves. The final paragraph also places several research methods in one long sequence. Use clearer topic sentences and more precise referencing, and group official records separately from community and library sources.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
There is an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “structural integrity,” “property value,” “building permits,” and “historical maps.” These terms help explain both the reasons for research and the sources people might consult. The response also attempts more specific language, such as “emotional bond” and “Victorian-era,” though some choices are inaccurate or awkward. For example, “ambiguous topic” does not clearly express the intended idea, and “resale non-profitable” is an unnatural collocation. Spelling errors such as “indivisuals,” “ancestoral,” and “goverment” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural combinations and proofread spelling; for instance, “property resale may become less profitable” is clearer.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the relative clause in “where the residents live” and the longer sentence explaining how a Victorian-era house can create a connection to the past. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are present. “One major reason being that…” is an incomplete sentence, while “While others just want…” is also left without a main clause. In “which result in discriminative behavior,” the verb does not agree with the singular idea “behavior,” and the comma after “As” is misplaced. Revise fragments into complete sentences and check agreement and punctuation. For example: “One major reason is that such incidents can reduce a property’s value.”
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