Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-07

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)

Without a doubt, access to clean water is one of the most important basic human right. Despite having such importance, I disagree that every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge.

To begin with, one of the most compelling argument is that the government cannot offer to spend huge amounts of their yearly funding to provide free water access to every home because they have other vital projects of more importance that needs funding. For instance, if the government of a country with a population over hundred million decides to make water supply free, it would mean diverting the funds that would help build hospitals, parks, highways etc. All of them are services that the public needs to survive.

Secondly, many critics often ignore that the government still spends a huge amount of money to ensure a clean water supply. It is noteworthy that recycling used water requires huge treatment plants which are really expensive to build. In addition, they also have to build proper waterway and drainage systems to ensure we can properly get access to clean water as well as dispose waste water. Along with these factors, water is actually free in different public places such as parks and hospitals.

Admittedly, It would be inaccurate to claim that the critics have no valid argument against my views. One argument in favor of them is that a lot of people in different parts of the world die every year due to the lack of having access to clean water just because they cannot afford it. While that is true, a more persuasive argument would be that different humanitarian organisations are continuously working to solve this issue. For example, The United Nations. Every year they spend billions of dollar to ensure people have access to drinking water.

In conclusion, while water remains a basic human right it cannot be provided by the government at least for now.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have clearly stated your position and maintained it throughout the essay. You addressed the prompt by discussing the financial implications for governments and the role of humanitarian organizations. However, the development of your ideas could be more nuanced. For instance, when discussing the cost of water treatment, you could have linked this more directly to the economic feasibility of 'free' water versus 'subsidized' water. The argument regarding humanitarian aid is relevant but could be expanded to explain why this is a better alternative than universal free supply. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Secondly', and 'In addition' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the third paragraph ('the critics') could be more precise. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the financial burden on governments to the role of international aid. The structure is sound and supports the overall argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'compelling argument', 'diverting the funds', and 'humanitarian organisations' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'proper waterway' instead of 'infrastructure' or 'water supply systems'. Additionally, there are a few repetitive uses of 'huge' and 'money'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid overusing simple adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'one of the most important basic human right' (should be plural 'rights'), 'more importance that needs funding' (should be 'need'), and 'billions of dollar' (should be 'dollars'). There is also a punctuation error in 'Admittedly, It would be...'. Despite these slips, your control of grammar is generally good, and these errors do not impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex structures would improve your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.