Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02
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)
The statement is true that clean water is a basic human right and it should be free of cost to some extinct or to some people. Although some people might have a different perspective but this essay agrees with the statement.
Access to clean water is not difficult for people who can afford to buy clean water but what if somebody cannot even afford to buy clean water. like when there is a flood in small mountain areas. people lose everything including there money and food. in this scenario the government should provide clean water as most of the diseases are spread from contaminated water. For example when the cholera disease spread after the flood and caused an epidemic.
clean water should also be provided to farmers for agriculture so they do not have to wait for the seasonal rain. if they are provided with clean water the crops grown would be healthy as today farmers depend on water from the rain or they have to pay a large sums of money if they want to add sprinklers to the land for water. The money farmers get from selling the crops most of that goes to the bills and they struggle to have a living.
In conclusion not every home should be provided with clean water because if the people who can afford water got it for free they would lose the value of water and waste the remaining clean water we have today. But in some extreme cases clean water should be provided as it is a basic human right for everyone. everybody deserves to drink, and cook with clean water.
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 the prompt but presents a contradictory position. The introduction states agreement with the idea that water should be free, but the conclusion argues against universal free water, stating 'not every home should be provided with clean water'. This inconsistency makes the overall position unclear. While you provide relevant examples like flood-affected areas and agricultural needs, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, ensure your thesis statement is consistent throughout the essay and that your arguments directly support that central position without contradicting it in the final paragraph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by the contradictory conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For example' and 'In conclusion', but they are sometimes mechanical or used incorrectly (e.g., starting a sentence with 'like' in the second paragraph). Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between the idea of human rights and the economic argument regarding farmers is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one will help improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There are some errors in word choice, such as 'to some extinct' (should be 'extent') and 'struggle to have a living' (should be 'struggle to make a living'). You rely on basic vocabulary, and there is limited use of less common or academic collocations. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to social policy and economics, and pay closer attention to spelling and standard idiomatic expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, there are missing capital letters at the start of sentences (e.g., 'like when there is a flood', 'clean water should also'), and issues with subject-verb agreement and articles. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic sentence mechanics, such as capitalization and consistent verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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