Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-01

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 8.5)

Clean water is one of the necessities that individuals need to use on a daily basis. For this reason, some believe that governments ought to provide households with free water. I disagree with this statement as it may put a strain on financial departments and encourage the general public to overuse natural resources.

First and foremost, it will consume a significant amount of public money if elected officials decide to provide free water. Besides basic human needs, there are still several aspects of society that we need to consider, such as education and employment. For instance, allocating more resources to water supply in some remote areas, namely Tibet, results in fewer resources remaining for young people who are trying to reach an achievement in an academic field, which is not a sustainable approach. In addition, it must be considered that ordinary families might consume more water than usual under the circumstances that governments provide free water, leading to unnecessary waste.

On the other hand, the intention of providing free water is understandable, yet we need to put this thought into action strategically. For example, instead of allowing everyone to access free resources without limit, authorities can focus on underprivileged communities where residents do not even have sufficient money to pay for bills. The underlying idea is that we should not waste public money, but need to pay attention to people who cannot make ends meet. Additionally, an incentive mechanism may be needed; governments can introduce policies that reward households using less water and charge a higher price for overused water. As a result, citizens will be more responsible for their usage of water, fundamentally changing the current situation.

In conclusion, providing free water without any restriction has negative impacts on the financial system and may even cause households to waste natural resources. In order to strike a balance, governments can prioritize some remote areas first and implement policies that encourage people to bear their responsibilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt by taking a firm position against universal free water supply. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the argument regarding the opportunity cost of public funds and the potential for resource mismanagement. The student provides a balanced view by acknowledging the counter-argument and suggesting a more nuanced, targeted approach for underprivileged communities. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the arguments are supported with logical reasoning and relevant examples, such as the mention of remote areas. The response fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the relationship between ideas is clear. The use of referencing is accurate, and the flow of the essay is natural, making it easy to follow the writer's line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

The vocabulary is varied and appropriate for an academic context. The student demonstrates a good command of topic-specific language, such as 'sustainable approach', 'underprivileged communities', 'incentive mechanism', and 'financial system'. There is a clear attempt to use less common lexical items, and the word choice is generally precise. While there are no major errors in collocation, the language is consistently accurate and contributes to the clarity of the argument. The range is sufficient to convey complex ideas without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The student uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The grammar is generally accurate, with most sentences being error-free. There is a good control of complex structures, such as conditional clauses ('under the circumstances that...') and participial phrases ('leading to unnecessary waste'). Punctuation is used correctly to manage sentence boundaries. While there are very occasional minor slips, they do not impede communication or affect the overall flow of the essay. The control of tense and agreement is consistent throughout.

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