Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Drinkable water is a basic necessity for everyone, and its supply should be accessible to all households free of cost. I completely agree with this notion.

Firstly, water is essential for survival, unlike most other goods. Good health and life itself depend on it, so it shouldn't be subject to market forces like a luxury item.

Water needs are basic in every home, but not everyone has the finances to purchase clean water monthly. This low purchasing power forces families to settle for unclean water, which may contain many contaminants, costing them their health. If the government continues to charge disproportionately for water, the lower-class public will have no option other than buying unsafe water.

In addition, this consumption of dirty water will pose a significant public health risk for the nation. Therefore, the best way to avoid this risk is to provide safe drinking water to the masses free of cost. A nation in which the citizens thrive on good health can contribute better to the economy of the country, and the subsidies that the government sets aside for water supply will act as an investment rather than a burden. Moreover, in many countries where healthcare and education are free of charge, water can fit in the same category. For instance, in France, free tap water is available to everyone.

To sum up, treating safe water as every human's right and providing free water to the public can be beneficial, as it will reduce the burden of buying costs and the risk to public health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses the prompt and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments are relevant, particularly the link between public health and economic productivity. However, the development is somewhat brief. While the idea of 'subsidies' and the comparison to healthcare are good, they could be expanded with more depth or specific examples beyond the brief mention of France. The essay covers all parts of the task well, but the brevity limits the potential for a higher score, as some points remain slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', 'Therefore', and 'To sum up' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the necessity of water to the public health implications and finally to the economic argument. The flow is natural and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You use terms like 'market forces', 'disproportionately', 'contaminants', and 'thrive' effectively. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which adds precision to your arguments. While the range is adequate, it does not quite reach the level of 'wide and flexible' required for higher bands, as some phrasing is slightly repetitive or standard. However, there are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally sound. You successfully use conditional structures ('If the government continues...') and relative clauses. While the grammar is accurate, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. There are no major errors that cause confusion, and the writing is clear and professional throughout. To improve, try incorporating a wider variety of advanced grammatical forms, such as passive voice or inversion, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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