Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-25

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 fundamental unit of life. Drinking clean water is essential for human health. Water contains toxins and heavy metals, like lead, mercury, iron, copper and chromium which are very dangerous for human health. That is the reason seawater is not good for drinking purposes. Therefore, water which is clean from all such heavy metals and other pollutants is good for health and nutrition. In order to get clean water a proper clean water supply is required.

Clean water is essential and its approach must be accessible for all humans. Every home should have a water supply which is clean and drinkable. But in many areas groundwater is non-hygienic and can affect physical health moreover, it can cause a lot of skin problems for example, eczema, acne, fungal and bacterial infections.

However, in many areas groundwater is clean, to overcome this issue people should install water pumps in their homes to get groundwater which is safe to drink. In order to install these water pumps some money is required and after that they should run on electricity.

Therefore, I do not agree with this that there should be a free water supply to every home. In my opinion water filtration plants are a more suitable option in order to overcome this issue. Government should take steps and provide funds for clean water filtration plants. These filtration plants provide clean water supply to such areas where water beneath earth is not good for drinking. This should be suitable for both people and for the government sectors.

In conclusion, it is clear that clean water plays a vital role in human life. To get this water a water filtration plant should be constructed in different areas of the cities so that it should be in range of every person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed the prompt by taking a clear position against the idea of free water supply for every home, instead proposing government-funded filtration plants. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. While you identify the problem of groundwater quality, the argument against 'free' water is not fully explored; you focus more on the technical solution than the economic or social implications of the 'human right' aspect mentioned in the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure you address the 'human right' component more directly and provide more nuanced reasoning for why universal free supply might be impractical or less effective than your proposed alternative.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., repeating 'water filtration plants' and 'clean water' frequently). The transition between the second and third paragraphs is a bit abrupt. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that pronouns or synonyms are used more effectively to avoid repetitive phrasing and improve the overall flow of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fundamental unit', 'pollutants', 'non-hygienic', and 'filtration plants'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive. There are instances where word choice could be more precise, such as using 'approach' when you likely meant 'access'. You also rely on simple descriptors. To achieve a higher score, incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items related to public policy and environmental health, while ensuring that your word choices are consistently accurate and natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally hinder the reader. For example, 'I do not agree with this that there should be...' is awkward phrasing, and there are issues with article usage (e.g., 'water beneath earth'). Some sentences are slightly disjointed, such as 'In order to install these water pumps some money is required and after that they should run on electricity.' While these errors do not prevent the meaning from being understood, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focus on subject-verb agreement and more fluid sentence construction.

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