Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-05
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)
In recent years, availability of clean, drinking water has become increasingly common problem. Every households should have a right for that and I completely agree with this view because it affects their health and some people are unable pay for that.
The main reason for my view is health effects. Water is essential for preparing foods and for some basic requirements. If the water source is polluted, it may lead to some adverse health issues. Moreover, governments may need to spend a greater cost for health sector of that region. For example, in some areas, water sources are mixed with some chemicals and people have to use that source if they are unable to access other sources. As a result, people may suffer from kidney diseases because of unsafe drinking water. Therefore, providing free water supply could help people to prevent from these non-communicable diseases.
Another important reason is poverty. This is mainly because some households have not a better income level. Therefore, rural villagers cannot spend money for water supplies and they use their own water although the water resource is not safe. For instance, some urban households need to pay higher cost for water supply and ultimately they consume low amount of water to reduce their cost. As a result, they may experience a poor sanitary conditions.
In conclusion, although people may can contribute for the maintenances without a higher payment ,clean drinking water should be provided with a free of charge for all homes. I completely agree with this view because water is essential to maintain a healthy life and it is not affordable for some rural communities.
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
You have addressed the prompt by clearly stating your position in the introduction and supporting it with two main arguments: health implications and poverty. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the discussion on health risks and the mention of kidney diseases are good, but the explanation of why free water is the only solution could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are fully integrated into your arguments rather than just listed. Overall, you have maintained a consistent position throughout the essay, which satisfies the requirements for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'although people may can contribute for the maintenances'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but improving the variety of your linking words would help the essay flow more naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'non-communicable diseases', 'sanitary conditions', and 'water sources'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'common problem' (should be 'increasingly common problem'), 'spend a greater cost' (should be 'incur higher costs'), and 'provided with a free of charge' (should be 'provided free of charge'). To improve, focus on learning common collocations and refining your use of articles and prepositions, as these small errors currently limit your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain grammatical errors, such as 'Every households should have' (subject-verb agreement) and 'people may can contribute' (modal verb error). There are also persistent issues with articles ('the health sector', 'a free of charge') and prepositions. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. To reach a higher band, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of modal verbs and articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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