Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Access to clean water is a basic human right. Therefore every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Clean water is crucial for the survival of human beings. Access to clean water is considered a basic human right under international humanitarian law and also by constitutions across the world. But there a debate whether every house should have water connection free of cost of not. Some say that water connection needs to be free of charge because water is a gift from god to human beings; also because of its importance for the survival of human beings it needs to be free. Others say that water connection needs to be charged so that wastage of water can be avoided.

Those who say that water needs to be free claim that water is a gift for human beings from the god. Government is there just to facilitate the supply of water. Its is also the duty of state to provide basic necessities of life like clean water free of cost to its population. If government fails to do so, capitalists would take advantage of this opportunity. One can observed this in the city of Karachi where government has failed o provide free water to its citizens. This has created a water mafia which sells water at exorbitant prices to the citizens and they are forced to divert significant chunk of their earning toward the buying water

Those who say that home water connection needs to be charged say that free access to water might lead to wastage of water. One can observe that clean water is being used to cleam cars and other kind of unnecessary stuff. This wastege of water has led to a significant drop in underground water table. This drop would affect a large population and also the future generations.

Water is a basic human right and the debate among those who claim that it needs to be free and those who oppose it has led us to the conlusion that it needs to be free becuase of its importance for the survival of human beings.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both sides of the issue and give a clear final view: water should be free because it is essential for survival. The Karachi example supports your concern about private sellers exploiting a lack of public provision, while the discussion of car washing and falling groundwater levels presents a relevant argument against free access. However, the response does not fully distinguish between a free household connection and water itself being supplied without charge; this is central to the question. The opposing view is also only briefly explained, and the conclusion largely repeats the opening position rather than resolving the trade-off. Clarify what “free” means and develop how essential use could be protected while discouraging waste.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction presents the debate, two body paragraphs explain opposing views, and a conclusion states your position. Topic sentences such as “Those who say that home water connection needs to be charged” help readers follow the structure. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt. For example, the first body paragraph moves from water as a gift to government responsibility and then to the Karachi example without clearly explaining each link. Repeated framing such as “Those who say…” also makes the organisation somewhat mechanical. Use clearer transitions to show how each example supports the claim, and make references such as “This drop” more explicit by naming the groundwater decline.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “basic human right,” “water mafia,” “exorbitant prices,” and “underground water table,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There is some range in how you describe public provision, private sellers, and water waste. However, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “wastege,” “conlusion,” and “becuase.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, such as “water connection needs to be charged” and “unnecessary stuff.” Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms, particularly when distinguishing a connection fee from charges for water consumption. Proofreading spelling and choosing formal alternatives will make the argument clearer and more academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If government fails to do so, capitalists would take advantage” and a relative clause in “which sells water at exorbitant prices.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur in sentence formation and grammatical patterns. Examples include “there a debate whether” (missing verb and linking structure), “Its is also the duty” (incorrect subject form), and “One can observed” (incorrect verb form). There are also problems with articles and prepositions, as in “from the god” and “toward the buying water.” Review subject–verb forms, articles, and verb patterns, then check each sentence for a complete and correctly linked structure.

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.