Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-27
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)
Access to clean water is important for a healthy life, therefore every citizen should have access to it. However, I partly disagree that it should be provided free of charge to people. I believe people will waste a lot of water. Government should charge for water. This essay will discuss both the ideas.
On the one hand, Every citizen should have access to clean water for drinking, showering and cooking. To stay away from diseases and illnesses, clean water is important for every human body. For example if the water is not clean or filtered properly it can cause kidney stones which is very harmful to our body. Therefore, Governments should establish tube wells in every part of residential areas to provide clean water. I believe every home should have a clean water pipe line to provide water for them.
On the other hand, I personally do not agree that water supply to citizens should be free of cost. Providing water free of cost will allow people to waste water and use water excessively. For example, most of the people like gardening in their home. People will not turn off water tap if there is no cost for it. They will open the water tap day and night to give water to their garden which will be very costly for government to manage. Therefore, governments should impose tax for water. This will control the usage of excessive water.
In conclusion, Access to clean water is every citizen’s basic right, government should supply water to every citizen. However, I believe that water supply to every citizen should not be free of cost.
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 all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that balances the right to water with the need for economic management. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of health benefits and the potential for water wastage. However, the development is somewhat basic. While the arguments are clear, they could be extended further by discussing the role of subsidies for low-income families or the environmental impact of water scarcity. The position is consistent throughout, but the essay lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band score. The structure is logical, and the conclusion effectively summarises the main points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organised with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and there is a reliance on simple sentence structures to link ideas. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be better connected to improve the flow. Overall, the coherence is sufficient to ensure the message is conveyed without confusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and sophistication. The student relies on repetitive phrasing, such as 'clean water', 'free of cost', and 'every citizen'. While the meaning is always clear, there is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Words like 'excessively' and 'impose' are used correctly, but the overall range is limited. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to the topic of public policy and resource management to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Government should charge' (missing article), 'every part of residential areas' (awkward phrasing), and 'most of the people like gardening in their home' (should be 'gardening at home'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence boundaries. While the errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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