Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24
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)
It is widely accepted that access to safe drinking water is primary source to human survival and well-being. While I agree that clean water is a basic human right that governments must guarantee, I disagree with the idea that every household should receive an unlimited water supply entirely free of charge.
On the one hand, ensuring that every citizen has free access to a basic amount of clean water is essential for public health and fair justice. Without access to safe water, communities face severe health problems, such as waterrelated diseases, which affect low-income families.Therefore, governments should support or provide a free daily allowance of water per person to ensure that nobody is in need of this essential resource due to financial difficulty.
On the other hand, providing an unlimited, completely free water supply to every home would lead to widespread resource reduction and financial hurdles. Water treatment, infrastructure maintenance, and distribution require huge capital and operational costs. If domestic water were entirely free, consumers would have no financial motive to conserve it, leading to excessive waste in tasks like washing cars, watering lawns, or leaving taps running. Implementing a model—where a basic allowance is free or heavily funded, but usage beyond that threshold is charged—gives the ideal balance between maintaining human rights and promoting environmental responsibility
In conclusion, while clean water is undoubtedly a basic right that must be accessible to all, providing it without any limitations or costs is not realistic. A balanced approach that provides free access for basic necessary while charging for excess consumption is the most valid solution.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it consistently throughout the essay. Your arguments are well-developed, particularly the distinction between a 'basic allowance' and 'excess consumption,' which demonstrates a sophisticated approach to the topic. The ideas are extended and supported with relevant reasoning regarding infrastructure costs and environmental conservation. The response is balanced and directly answers the question posed, showing a clear understanding of the complexities involved in the debate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two sides of the argument is smooth. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is natural. There is a minor punctuation error in the first paragraph where a space is missing after a period, but this does not detract from the overall coherence of the piece.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic task. Phrases like 'financial motive,' 'infrastructure maintenance,' and 'excessive waste' are used accurately. You show an ability to use less common lexical items, such as 'guarantee' and 'threshold,' which adds precision to your writing. While the vocabulary is sufficient and precise, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions to reach the highest band. Overall, the word choice is natural and effectively conveys your meaning without any noticeable errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a variety of complex sentence structures effectively, such as conditional clauses ('If domestic water were entirely free...') and concessive clauses ('While clean water is...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over grammar and punctuation is strong. There are very occasional minor slips, such as the missing space after 'families.Therefore' and the phrase 'basic necessary' which should be 'basic necessities.' However, these are rare and do not impede communication. Your control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the response.
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