Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-28

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 8.0)

While access to clean drinking water is indisputably a fundamental human necessity, whether municipal authorities should deliver it to every household entirely free of charge remains a subject of intense debate. Although providing basic access free of charge would safeguard public health and alleviate financial hardship, I completely disagree with the idea that unlimited domestic water supplies should be entirely cost-free.

Proponents of free water rightly argue that fundamental rights should not be restricted by financial capability. In many developing nations, the financial burden of purchasing clean water forces low-income families to rely on unsafe, contaminated sources, leading to waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. Guaranteeing a baseline supply of free water directly improves community sanitation, lowers healthcare expenditures, and enhances overall quality of life. Furthermore, from an ethical standpoint, treating water purely as a commercial commodity risks marginalizing the most vulnerable segments of society.

However, making domestic water completely free for all households introduces serious environmental and economic drawbacks. The primary concern is resource management and waste. When a resource is free, consumers lack the financial incentive to conserve it. Households are far more likely to waste water through unaddressed pipe leaks, excessive lawn irrigation, or unrestrained daily usage. For instance, cities that lack metered water tariffs often report significantly higher per capita consumption rates than those where residents pay based on their usage.

Moreover, maintaining water treatment facilities, updating distribution infrastructure, and managing sewage systems require immense capital expenditure. If governments bear the entire financial burden without collecting municipal tariffs, water quality standards and network reliability are likely to deteriorate over time due to budget deficits. A more sustainable alternative is a progressive pricing model: providing a subsidized or free minimum allowance to cover essential daily needs, while charging higher rates for consumption beyond that threshold to encourage conservation.

In conclusion, while I agree that ensuring access to safe water is a essential human obligation, supplying unlimited water to households free of charge is financially unsustainable and environmentally damaging. Government policy should instead focus on providing a free basic daily allocation while utilizing a metered tariff system to prevent waste and fund essential infrastructure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You present a clear position from the introduction and maintain it consistently throughout the essay. The arguments are well-developed, balancing the ethical necessity of water access with the practical, economic, and environmental arguments against making it entirely free. You provide relevant examples, such as the mention of metered water tariffs and the impact on infrastructure maintenance, which effectively support your stance. The conclusion provides a nuanced summary that reflects the depth of your analysis. The ideas are extended logically, and the response is well-structured to meet the requirements of an academic task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a clear central theme, starting with the counter-argument before moving to your own position, which is a sophisticated approach. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'Furthermore,' 'However,' and 'Moreover,' which guide the reader through your argument without feeling mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The referencing is clear, and the flow between sentences is smooth, contributing to a highly readable and coherent piece of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which allows for precise expression of complex ideas. Phrases such as 'indisputably a fundamental human necessity,' 'marginalizing the most vulnerable segments,' and 'immense capital expenditure' show a high level of lexical control. You use uncommon items with awareness of style and collocation. There is only one minor error: 'a essential human obligation' should be 'an essential human obligation.' Aside from this, the vocabulary is sophisticated and contributes significantly to the overall quality of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The essay displays a wide range of complex structures used with high accuracy. You effectively use conditional structures, relative clauses, and varied sentence beginnings to maintain interest. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control over punctuation is excellent. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The structure is varied, moving between simple, compound, and complex sentences with ease. Your ability to maintain grammatical accuracy while expressing nuanced arguments is a clear indicator of a high band score.

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