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)
Water is the basic necessity of life. Life on earth would be hardly possible without water. Clean water must be accessible for each individual as it is the basic need of human life. There is no doubt that water must be provided free to all households. In my opinion, water must not be provided free to everyone. Before explaining my point of view this essay will shed light on both arguments.
First of all, many countries in the world do not have access to fresh waters, like rivers, lakes and streams, either they are landlocked or arid regions. In this case it is not feasible for governments to supply water free of cost. Even in developed countries like the UAE, water is being sold in markets as they do not have any source of fresh water. Most of the water is desalinated in water desalination plants, which cost huge amount of money. In this case it is unreasonable to demand free water supply. Meanwhile people use water carefully as they have to pay for it.
On the other hand, there are several states who have huge sources of fresh water like Pakistan, water is not supplied to houses out of charge. However, it is understandable that for continuous supply and maintaining infrastructure for rising population, it is necessary to charge people. Moreover, many people do not realize that water must not be wasted as there is a huge number of people in world who do not even have access to clean water.
In conclusion, I will strongly recommend that water must be supplied to those regions who are deprived of this natural resource. Countries should focus more on the installation of clean water projects. Governments should start awareness programs on saving water for poor and deprived people of the world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 discussing both sides of the argument regarding free water supply. However, the position is slightly contradictory; the introduction states 'there is no doubt that water must be provided free' but immediately follows with 'In my opinion, water must not be provided free'. This inconsistency makes the overall stance unclear. While the ideas regarding desalination costs and infrastructure maintenance are relevant, the conclusion shifts focus to providing water to deprived regions rather than addressing the core debate of universal free supply. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout the essay and that your conclusion directly reinforces your main argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'In this case it is not feasible' and 'In this case it is unreasonable'. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph is a bit repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the logical flow between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother to better support the central argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'desalination plants', 'infrastructure', and 'arid regions'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'out of charge' instead of 'free of charge' or 'provided at no cost'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to avoid repetitive phrasing like 'huge amount of money' or 'huge number of people'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'either they are landlocked' (should be 'whether they are landlocked') and 'there are several states who have' (should be 'which have'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips in sentence construction. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of conjunctions would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
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.