Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-12
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 a basic human right. However, every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge. I partly agree with this argument and now I will describe some basic reasons with examples.
On the one hand, water is an energy source for inhabitants. It is needed compulsory for humans to maintain their health. Furthermore, water should be clean and government is responsible for this problem. It should make all the steps that make water clean and it could reach residents comfortably. For instance, if the water is not clean than citizens may have certain diseases. Moreover, government should construct power plants in every region to avoid bad water which is very injurious to their health.
On the other hand, every home should have a water supply but not free of charge. Some individuals which are poor and their financial condition is not much strong so institute should give them discount but not free of charge. This is because they dont take interest in saving water. In addition, if every citizen will pay for water supply than they will take interest in saving water. Basic thing that state can do is it should make better sources of water supply. For example, Some people face difficulties in supply of water. It should be responsible that individuals could get clean water so that they should not suffer from both major and minor diseases.
As far I am concerned that, water supply should not be free of charge because if individuals will pay for water than they will know the importance of water and they will try to save every drop of water. But some residents that cannot afford, they should given discount.
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 the prompt by taking a clear position, arguing that water should not be free but that subsidies should exist for the poor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument about 'power plants' to avoid 'bad water' is logically unclear and lacks relevance to the core issue of water pricing. While the main points are identifiable, the explanation of why charging for water encourages conservation is repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should focus on developing your arguments with more logical depth rather than repeating the same points in different ways.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In addition.' However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as the transition 'As far I am concerned that.' Additionally, some sentences lack smooth logical flow, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between power plants and water quality is tenuous. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'financial condition,' 'subsidies' (implied by 'discount'), and 'inhabitants.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'It is needed compulsory' (should be 'compulsory' or 'essential') and 'make all the steps' (should be 'take all the necessary measures'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you can communicate your meaning, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'if every citizen will pay' (should be 'if every citizen pays'), 'they should given discount' (should be 'they should be given a discount'), and 'than' used instead of 'then.' Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and conditional sentence structures would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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