Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16
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)
Around 70 percent of our earth is covered with water, however only a fragment of it is considered to be safe for usage. Thus, access to this clean water should be a basic human right, and many believe that every household should have a water supply which is provided free of charge. But I partially agree this and the reasons are stated future on this essay.
Firstly, access to clean water is a basic human need as it is a fundamental right and it is inheritance of nature, it should be distributed evenly to the mankind. Our human body is also made up of 70 to 80 percent water. Lack of water in a body can also cause numerous diseases. For example, many people in Africa dies out of dehydration due to shortage of water.
However, there are some disadvantages if water is provided for free. Firstly, people will start to waste water as it will be widely available, that means they will misuse it in various ways. To exemplify, excess water will be used for bathing, washing clothes, etc. which in turn can create a global shortage of water, and will be extremely dangerous to all living creatures. In addition to this, the free providers can get careless to supply clean water as they are not getting any profits which will ultimately violate the goal. Thus, companies like Besleri, Kindley are providing good quality of water but with a marginal cost.
To recapitulate, water is a fundamental right of humans thus it should be available to everybody, but people can waste it if not restricted. Thus, i think some laws should be created such that water cannot be misused and everyone can have an access to it.
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 the human right to water and the potential downsides of free provision. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the argument for water as a human right is clear, the counter-argument regarding waste is a bit simplistic. The conclusion introduces a compromise (laws to prevent misuse) that was not fully explored in the body paragraphs, which limits the depth of the response. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples and ensure that your proposed solutions are integrated into the main body of the essay rather than appearing only in the final sentence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'To recapitulate' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'stated future on this essay' (should be 'stated later in this essay'). The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between ideas is more explicitly stated to avoid a list-like feel.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fundamental right', 'dehydration', and 'marginal cost'. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'inheritance of nature' (which is not a standard collocation) and 'free providers' (which is vague). Additionally, there are minor errors in word formation, such as 'Besleri' and 'Kindley' (likely referring to Bisleri and Kinley), which are brand names. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that your vocabulary is consistently accurate in a formal context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'I partially agree this' should be 'I partially agree with this', and 'many people in Africa dies' should be 'many people in Africa die'. There are also issues with article usage and punctuation, such as the lowercase 'i' in the final paragraph. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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