Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03
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)
Access to clean water is essential for people health and daily life. Some people believe that because it is a basic human right. government should provide free water to every household. I partly agree with this opinion because everyone should have access to clean water, but i also believed that people should pay for the amount they use beyond the basic needs.
on the one hand, every person should have access to a sufficient supply of clean water without worrying about the cost. Water is necessary for drinking, cooking and maintaining good hygiene. if families cannot afford the clean water, they may use unsafe sources, which can lead to serious diseases and other health problem. Therefor, government should ensure that all cities receive enough clean water to meet their basic needs. This would improve the public health and provide better quality of life especially for the low-income families.
On the other hand, providing water without limits could create financial loss and environmental problem. Treating and supplying clean water require expensive infrastructure, regular maintenance and skilled workers. If government paid all of these costs, it would place heavy burden on public finances. In addition, people might waste water if they did not have to pay for it. Charging households for excessive water consumption encourage them to use this valuable resources more responsibility and helps protect the environment.
In conclusion, I believe that access to basic amount of clean water should be free because it is a fundamental human right. However, households should pay for any additional water they use so that water resources can be managed fairly and sustainably.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that is maintained throughout. The student effectively balances the argument by acknowledging the human right to water while proposing a tiered payment system for excessive use. Ideas are well-developed, particularly the economic and environmental justifications for charging for surplus water. The essay is balanced and provides relevant reasoning, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific examples or real-world evidence to further substantiate the claims regarding infrastructure costs or public health outcomes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'on the one hand', 'in addition', and 'however' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow, justifying a Band 7.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with some precision. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'infrastructure', 'public finances', and 'sustainably'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'people health' instead of 'public health' and 'environmental problem' instead of 'environmental problems'. The range is adequate for the task, but lacks the more sophisticated, idiomatic, or less common lexical items required for higher bands. The errors do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several recurring grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the government'), subject-verb agreement issues ('government should provide', 'government paid'), and minor punctuation errors. For instance, 'i also believed' should be 'I also believe'. These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score but do not cause confusion for the reader. A greater variety of complex structures with higher accuracy would be needed to move into the Band 7.0 range.
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