Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-28
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 8.0)
Access to clean water is one of the most important needs for every human being. Some people believe that every home should receive water free of charge because it is a basic human right. I mostly agree with this opinion, although I think people should still use water responsibly.
Firstly, clean water is essential for life and good health. People need it for drinking, cooking, washing, and maintaining hygiene. If poor families cannot afford clean water, they may be forced to use unsafe water, which can lead to serious diseases. Therefore, governments should ensure that everyone has access to a safe water supply regardless of their financial situation.
Secondly, providing free water can improve the quality of life and reduce inequality. In many developing countries, some people still travel long distances to collect water. If every household had a free and reliable water supply, children could spend more time studying instead of collecting water, and families would enjoy better living conditions.
However, I do not believe that unlimited water should be free. If people do not pay anything, they may waste large amounts of water. A better solution would be to provide a reasonable amount of water free for daily needs, while charging for excessive use. This would encourage people to save water and protect this valuable natural resource.
In conclusion, I agree that access to clean water is a basic human right and every household should receive enough water free of charge for essential needs. However, charging for excessive consumption is a fair way to prevent waste and ensure that water resources are available for future generations.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have taken a clear position from the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The arguments regarding health, inequality, and the necessity of preventing waste are well-developed and supported with logical reasoning. By proposing a nuanced solution—free water for basic needs but charging for excess—you demonstrate a sophisticated approach to the prompt. The ideas are relevant and extended sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task, showing a clear understanding of the complexities involved in the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, starting with the importance of water, moving to the social benefits of free access, and concluding with a balanced perspective on conservation. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the relationship between sentences is clear. The flow is natural, and the transition between the agreement in the body paragraphs and the caveat in the third paragraph is handled smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic context. Phrases like 'financial situation', 'reliable water supply', 'excessive consumption', and 'valuable natural resource' show a good command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is accurate and conveys your meaning clearly, it is functional rather than highly sophisticated. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations or less common lexical items to add nuance to your arguments. However, the current range is sufficient to express your ideas with precision and flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0
The essay displays a good variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences with conditional clauses ('If poor families cannot afford...', 'If every household had...'). The grammar is generally accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and tense usage is consistent. While the structures are correct, they are relatively standard. Introducing a wider variety of advanced grammatical forms, such as passive voice constructions or more complex inversion, could further enhance the range and demonstrate greater flexibility.
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