Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-05

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 6.0)

I strongly agree that access to clean water is a basic human right. Every person needs safe drinking water to live a healthy life. Therefore, I believe that every household should receive a basic amount of water free of charge.

Firstly, clean water is essential for health and survival. People need it for drinking, cooking, and maintaining personal hygiene. If families cannot afford clean water, they may use unsafe sources, which can lead to serious diseases. Providing free access to a basic water supply can improve public health and reduce medical costs.

Secondly, free water helps poor and vulnerable families. Many people struggle to pay for basic necessities. If governments provide a limited amount of water free of charge, everyone can meet their daily needs regardless of their income. This promotes equality and improves people’s quality of life.

However, I do not believe that all water should be completely free. If people are allowed unlimited free water, some may waste it. Water is a valuable natural resource, and it should be used responsibly. Therefore, governments can provide a basic amount free, while charging for extra usage. This system encourages people to save water and protects the environment.

In conclusion, I agree that everyone should have access to free clean water because it is necessary for life and health. However, only a basic amount should be free, while additional consumption should be paid for to prevent waste and ensure sustainable use of water.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments regarding health, equality, and the necessity of preventing waste. However, the response is 242 words long, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length issue results in a penalty, as the development of ideas is slightly constrained. To improve, ensure you expand on your examples or provide more depth to your arguments to comfortably exceed the word count. While the ideas are relevant, they could be more fully extended to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is logical. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'In conclusion' effectively to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that the transition between sentences is even more fluid and less reliant on standard listing words.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'vulnerable', 'necessities', 'sustainable', and 'consumption' correctly. The language is natural and conveys your meaning without difficulty. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and academic synonyms to elevate the tone of your writing beyond standard, everyday English.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, which makes the text easy to follow. You show good control over punctuation and basic sentence construction. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to include a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, and ensure that your sentence variety is more pronounced throughout the essay.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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