Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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)
Water is the essential need of each and every individual living on the globe rather it be a human being or animals. Many people argue that there should be no charges on the water supply while some argue to implement a fixed monthly bill on the water utilisation. In my opinion, water is the basic necessity and should be provided free of charge.
To begin , the thought of implementing charges on the water supply must be seriously addressed by the government due to lack of finances available on population belonging to rural areas or low income families. For instance, people living in many village which experience scarcity of ground water completely demand upon the water supplied by government coorporations which charge them heavily every year. Furthermore, there were cases in India were a family was not able to clear their dues . Eventually, the supply of water was stopped and were not able to perform their daily life chores for a week which acts as a negative impact and give rise to mental stress and curse on the government authorities.
On the other hand , the demand of water is at peak and the supply is limited which raises the issue of depletion of groundwater. In addition, a well-structured strategy might help in overcoming the above mentioned issues. For example, the tax on water supply can be deducted and a reasonable fee can be implemented to make things go with the flow without any discrepancies.
In conclusion, every home must receive a continous supply of water. If any charges are necessary to be implemented for proper working of the supply chain needed to applied in a reasonable amount. Therfore, clean water is a basic human right and should be provided for free or in reasonable fee can be implemented.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat inconsistent. While the first body paragraph provides a relevant example regarding rural water scarcity in India, the second body paragraph is contradictory; it acknowledges the need for water conservation but then suggests a 'reasonable fee' without fully reconciling this with the initial argument that water should be free. The conclusion also introduces a contradiction by suggesting a 'reasonable fee' after arguing for free access. To reach a higher band, you should ensure your arguments are consistent and fully developed without self-contradiction.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the logical flow within the third paragraph is weak because it shifts from arguing for free water to suggesting a fee, which confuses the reader. Referencing is generally clear, but the internal logic of the arguments needs to be more tightly controlled to ensure a smoother progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, though it lacks sophistication. You use some relevant terms like 'scarcity', 'depletion', and 'discrepancies'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'curse on the government authorities' (which is not a standard collocation) and 'demand upon' instead of 'depend upon'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'coorporations' and 'continous'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of common academic vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'rather it be a human being' (should be 'whether it be'), 'people living in many village' (should be 'villages'), and 'needed to applied' (should be 'needs to be applied'). There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb and tense consistency would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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