Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-14

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)

It is commonly asserted that one of the basic human right is to get pure water. Thus every household must have a water supply that is free of cost. I partially agree with this view, because from my perspective, only poor citizens of a country should get to pay nothing in case of getting clean water.

To begin with, among all the individuals of a country, the people who don't have the privilege to buy or avail clean water for their daily activities, should have the full access to get clean water which will be free of any charge. A large number of individuals who live in slum or underdeveloped areas, consume impure, unclean water for drinking and other chores. As a result, they become ill more often with various diseases. Therefore, the government should take this step as early as possible to create a life changing impact on such people. A good example is, the hospital data of ICDDRB shows that poor people are affected with

On the other hand, citizens belonging from the upper class have full access or can even buy safe water for themselves. Moreover, most of the rich to upper middle class people use water filters nowadays. Consequently, such measures and actions keeps them safe from several health problems. For instance, a recent study result shows that people from a comfortable economic backgound doesn't get the same amount of waterborne diseases comparing to the less solvent people.

In conclusion, water is one the most crucial and basic rights of human, which shall be free of any cost specifically for the underprivileged citizens who struggle to have access to clean and fresh water.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed the prompt by taking a clear position of partial agreement. You successfully identified the core issue—the distinction between those who can afford water and those who cannot. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat uneven. The example regarding the ICDDRB is left incomplete, which weakens your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that every example is fully explained and linked back to your main thesis. While your position is clear throughout, the supporting evidence needs more depth and completion to fully convince the reader of your perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure of your argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is occasionally mechanical. For instance, the transition between the discussion of slum dwellers and the example of the hospital data is abrupt due to the incomplete sentence. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'underprivileged,' 'economic background,' and 'waterborne diseases' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'less solvent people' (which is not a standard collocation for economic status) and 'get to pay nothing.' While you attempt to use more sophisticated language, the phrasing is sometimes slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic terminology to express your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'one of the basic human right' (should be 'rights'), 'people... doesn't get' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'citizens belonging from' (preposition error). These errors occur frequently but do not impede communication. To move to a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help improve your score.

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

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