Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-08

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 7.5)

Clean water is essential for human survival, and some people argue that every household should therefore receive a free supply of water. I strongly agree with this notion, safe drinking water is a basic necessity and access to it should be guaranteed to everyone, however, I do not believe that household should be entitled to unlimited water supply without paying for it.

There are several reasons that clean water should be considered a basic human right. First and foremost, water is indispensable for maintaining health ad hygiene. Without a reliable supply of safe water people are more vulnerable to diseases caused by poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water. This issue is particularly serious for low-income families, who may struggle to afford basic necessities. Providing these households with minimum amount of clean water free of charge could therefore protect public health and ensure a basic standard for living. Therefore, government has a responsibility to ensure that essential resources are accessible to vulnerable members of society, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Nevertheless, making the entire water supply free for every household could create serious problems. Water treatment, transportation and infrastructure maintenance are extremely costly, and these expenses have to be covered by governments or consumers. If all domestic water were provided without charge , government might face substantial financial pressure, potentially resulting in higher taxes or reduced sending on other essential public services. Moreover, completely free water could encourage unnecessary consumption. people may be less inclined to conserve water if they have no financial incentive to use it responsibly, which could worsen shortages in areas affected by drought or population growth.

To conclude, I agree that everyone has a fundamental right to access clean water, but I do not think unlimited domestic water should be completely free. A system that guarantees a basic free supply while charging for excessive consumption would be fairer and more sustainable approach.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.5
Lexical Resource7.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy7.0
Overall7.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have clearly addressed all parts of the prompt by presenting a balanced argument. You established a clear position in the introduction, acknowledging the human right to water while qualifying your agreement by rejecting the idea of 'unlimited' free supply. Your ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between basic needs and excessive consumption. The arguments regarding public health, infrastructure costs, and conservation are relevant and logically extended. To reach a higher band, ensure that your thesis statement is grammatically precise to avoid ambiguity, as your initial sentence structure slightly muddies the distinction between your agreement and your caveat.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Nevertheless', and 'To conclude' effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the supporting arguments from the counter-arguments. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated; for instance, the connection between the introduction and the first body paragraph is functional but could be more seamless. Overall, the logical structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'indispensable for maintaining health', 'financial incentive', and 'sustainable approach' show good control. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'ad hygiene' (likely a typo for 'and') and 'standard for living' (should be 'standard of living'). While you use some less common items, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than highly sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more idiomatic collocations or nuanced academic synonyms to enhance the overall lexical variety and precision of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear, and your control of grammar is generally good. However, there are some punctuation and grammatical slips, such as the comma splice in the first paragraph ('...guaranteed to everyone, however, I do not believe...') and the missing article in 'government has a responsibility' (should be 'the government'). Additionally, 'reduced sending' appears to be a typo for 'reduced spending'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching the highest band for accuracy. Focus on proofreading for small articles and punctuation errors.

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