Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-25

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)

In this generation, people are mostly showing their interest in learning the story behind their home or apartment that they live in. Actually its a very interesting thing to know about the backstory of building a home.

One of the main reason can be something horror. Its because, a lot of the things has been seen in horror films that, the houses were built above a graveyard and then many paranormal things happened after someone bought the house of rented the house and started to live in it. These things not only happen in films but also happen in acutal world. For example, a news was there about a house near airport that paranormal things happened at that house and those who rented that house, died one by one in a mysterious way. Another reason could be structural such as if the house or building is built by filling some ponds or waterbody then there always stays a risk of settlement of the structure. When earthquake hits, the structure will collapse and many people will lose their lives.

Now comes the most important thing that how can people actually get to know about this as most of the land owners do not disclose the true history of the house or the building. But people may get to know about that place from the neighbours because they are the person living beside the house or living in the same apartment. Also, it can be known by asking the landlord about the legal papers of the house or apartment. These methods will really help a person to learn about a place they will about to get live in.

However, history always comes with something interesting and people really need to know about the places they will live in. As some countries has century old buildings, its really need to know the history.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: you suggest reasons for researching a home’s past, including possible paranormal associations and structural risks, and you explain that neighbours and landlords’ legal documents may provide information. These ideas are relevant, but the response only partially develops them. The horror example is quite specific, yet it is presented as an unverified news story and takes more space than explaining why people generally investigate a property’s history. The structural point is also asserted rather than explained with supporting detail. Your answer to how people can research is brief; you could add practical sources such as local archives, property records, previous owners, or historical maps. A clearer central explanation of the main motivations would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on reasons, a paragraph on research methods, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “One of the main reason,” “Now comes,” and “However” help signal movement between sections. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak, and some links feel mechanical or do not express the relationship accurately. For example, “However” introduces a concluding generalisation rather than a contrast, while the shift from horror stories to structural safety is abrupt. References such as “this” and “that place” are not always precise. Grouping the reasons more clearly and using transitions that show cause, contrast, or example would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “backstory,” “paranormal,” “structural,” “settlement,” and “legal papers.” There are also attempts at more specific language, such as describing a building as being “built by filling some ponds.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less clear. Examples include “the story behind their home,” “a news was there,” and “the house of rented the house”; “waterbody” and “century old” are also not expressed naturally in context. Aim for precise collocations such as “property history,” “a news report,” and “a house built on reclaimed land.” Check spelling and word forms, including “actual” and “reasons.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including conditional and relative structures, as in “When earthquake hits, the structure will collapse” and “the houses were built above a graveyard and then many paranormal things happened.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “One of the main reason” needs a plural noun, and “a lot of the things has been seen” has faulty agreement and passive construction. In “those who rented that house, died,” the comma is unnecessary, while “a place they will about to get live in” is not grammatically formed. Practise building accurate complex sentences and checking each clause for a clear subject, verb, and correct tense.

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