Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-13

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)

Water is essential for the human body and also required for our daily life tasks. It is argued that the availability of clean water is a basic human right, and the government should supply water free of charge to everyone. I disagree with this statement because people will not value it, and it will also put a financial burden on the government.

One of the main reasons is that people will not value water if it is available free of charge. They start to waste in household activities like washing cars and floors. Moreover, they may use water in excess in gardening and pools. As a result, resources of water will start diminishing.

Secondly, free water puts a financial burden on the government. This is because lots of money is required to clean water and store it and make it accessible to everyone. When free water is excessively used, then it puts pressure on the government. Moreover, it is not possible for the government to provide free water to everyone,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you disagree because free provision may encourage waste and create costs for government. Both reasons are relevant, and examples such as washing cars, gardening and maintaining pools help illustrate the first point. However, the response addresses the task only partially: the ideas are brief and not sufficiently explained, and the second argument ends unfinished with “it is not possible for the government to provide free water to everyone,”. You also need to consider the claim that clean water is a basic human right and explain how your position would protect access for households unable to pay. The response is 80 words below the required minimum, which limits the opportunity to develop and support your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction states your view, followed by two paragraphs presenting separate reasons. Sequencing phrases such as “One of the main reasons” and “Secondly” make the organisation easy to follow. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited, and the second body paragraph stops mid-argument rather than reaching a clear conclusion. Some links are mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Moreover” and “This is because.” Develop each paragraph through a clear claim, explanation and consequence, and use referencing or varied transitions to connect ideas more naturally. A concluding paragraph would also help bring the argument to a complete and coherent close.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main points, including “basic human right,” “financial burden,” “excessively used” and “resources of water.” The examples of household uses also make the discussion concrete. However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “resources of water” and “waste in household activities.” Repetition of “free,” “water” and “government” also restricts flexibility. Aim for more precise collocations and vary how you refer to the issue—for example, discuss water consumption, public provision and treatment costs. This would make your argument clearer and more appropriate to an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate your main ideas using a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “This is because lots of money is required to clean water and store it and make it accessible to everyone.” Most sentences are understandable, and the opening sentence is grammatically controlled. However, the range of structures is limited, and errors or awkward constructions appear in places. For example, “They start to waste” lacks an object, while “When free water is excessively used, then it puts pressure” has an unclear pronoun reference. The final sentence is also incomplete, ending after a comma. Practise complete sentence construction, clear pronoun references and varied complex sentences, then proofread punctuation and sentence endings.

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