Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-08

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 7.5)

Clean water is one of the most fundamental necessities of human life. Although I agree that everyone has the right to access safe and clean water, I do not believe that the entire water supply should be provided free of charge to every household. Instead, governments should guarantee a basic amount of clean water for everyone and charge reasonable fees for additional consumption.

The strongest argument for providing free water is that it is essential for human survival and public health. People need clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing and sanitation. If water were expensive, low-income families might reduce their consumption and face serious health problems. For example, poor households may not be able to afford sufficient water for personal hygiene, which could increase the spread of infectious diseases. Therefore, governments have a responsibility to ensure that disadvantaged people have access to an adequate supply of clean water, regardless of their financial situation.

However, providing unlimited water completely free of charge could create several problems. Firstly, water is a limited natural resource, and people may waste it if they do not have to pay anything for their consumption. For instance, households might use excessive amounts of water for washing vehicles, watering gardens or other unnecessary activities. Secondly, supplying and maintaining water systems requires substantial investment in treatment plants, pipelines and purification facilities. If consumers pay nothing, governments would have to cover all these costs through taxes or other sources of public revenue. A reasonable pricing system could therefore encourage responsible consumption while helping authorities maintain the water infrastructure.

In my opinion, the best approach would be to provide every household with a certain basic quantity of clean water either free of charge or at a highly subsidised rate. People who consume more than this essential amount could then be required to pay according to their usage. This system would protect people's basic rights while discouraging unnecessary waste.

In conclusion, although clean water should be accessible to everyone as a basic human necessity, I disagree that unlimited water should be completely free. A system that guarantees affordable basic water while charging for excessive consumption would be a fairer and more sustainable solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have taken a clear position from the introduction and maintained it consistently throughout the essay. The arguments are well-developed, with the first body paragraph focusing on the necessity of water for health and the second addressing the economic and environmental risks of free, unlimited supply. The proposal for a tiered pricing system is a sophisticated way to balance the two sides of the argument, demonstrating a high level of task response. The ideas are extended logically, and the conclusion effectively synthesises your main points without introducing new information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, and the transition between the arguments is smooth. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'Instead', 'For example', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through your reasoning. The referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different facets of the argument. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, and the overall structure is very coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the academic context. Phrases such as 'fundamental necessities', 'disadvantaged people', 'substantial investment', and 'sustainable solution' show a strong command of topic-specific language. The word choice is precise, and there are no noticeable errors in collocation or spelling. You successfully use less common items to convey your meaning with precision, which contributes to the natural flow of the essay. The vocabulary is consistently appropriate for an IELTS Task 2 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with conditional clauses ('If water were expensive...', 'If consumers pay nothing...') and well-constructed compound sentences. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and verb tenses is excellent. There are no significant grammatical slips that impede communication. The variety of structures used, such as the use of modal verbs for suggestions and hypothetical situations, demonstrates a high level of grammatical control and flexibility.

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