Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31
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 7.0)
Fresh water must be available to everyone because it is a basic human right. Therefore, every household should have access to a water supply without having to pay any money. I do not completely agree with this view because clean water is a necessity for life, and if water is provided free of charge, people may overuse it.
Clean water is a basic necessity for human life because access to it allows people to maintain basic hygiene. Additionally, it can protect people from many dangerous diseases. For example, residents of slum areas in Mumbai do not have adequate access to fresh water, and as a result, they suffer from various health problems, including skin diseases and poor gut health. Furthermore, a recent survey reported that many residents of Mumbai's slum areas suffer from dental problems because they do not have access to clean and potable water.
If water is provided free of charge, people may not pay enough attention to their consumption and could waste it. Therefore, households should be charged for water every month, just like other utilities. For instance, in my city, the local government once provided water free of charge. As a result, some citizens started overusing water because they did not have to worry about paying a utility bill. I have even noticed that, on some streets, water was continuously running from taps without anyone using it.
To conclude, I do not completely agree with the statement that water should be provided free of charge to every household. Although access to clean and potable water can protect citizens from many dangerous diseases, charging for water can help prevent people from wasting and misusing this valuable resource.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have addressed all parts of the task and maintained a clear position throughout. Your argument is balanced, acknowledging the importance of water as a human right while providing a logical counter-argument regarding resource management. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the example of the Mumbai slum residents to illustrate the necessity of water, and the personal example regarding local government policy to support the argument for charging. The response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt, demonstrating a good understanding of the requirements for an academic essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and you have used a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'To conclude'. The transition between the importance of water and the economic argument for charging is smooth. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of your argument. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between sentences is clear, which makes the essay easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'basic human right', 'potable water', 'utility bill', and 'misusing this valuable resource' show a good command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for the context, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items to reach the highest bands. However, your word choice is consistently clear and effective, and there are no errors that impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
Your grammar is generally accurate, and you demonstrate a good control of complex sentence structures. You use a variety of sentence types, including conditional sentences ('If water is provided... people may not pay...') and complex sentences with subordinate clauses ('Although access to clean and potable water can protect...'). The punctuation is correct, and there are very few errors. The majority of your sentences are error-free, which indicates a high level of grammatical control. The writing is fluent and easy to read.
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