Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-09
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)
It is widely believed that access to clean water is a basic human need. Therefor every home should have a free access to water. I strongly agree with this notion because of equality and healthy bodies.
To begin with, the primary benefit of free water is that it ensures equality. To explain it, people from low-income backgrounds do not have ample money for purchasing clean water. Consequently, unemployed or low-income families suffer a lot. To illustrate it, countries, such as Pakistan and India make sure the free supply of water which ensure the equal water supply to everyone. Hence, water should be free because average human body is made up of approximately 60 percent of water which means humans can not survive prolonged without water.
Furthermore, another significant advantage of free water is that it ensure healthier society. To elaborate it, if the supply of clean water is not free, people will not drink sufficient water, prefer drinking low-cost dirty water which has detrimental effects on their health. To illustrate it, this is supported by studies who have shown that countries which do not supply free water have the higher rates of diseases in their population. Hence, clean water must be free as it plays a crucial role in the well-being of society.
In contrast, one major draw back of free water is that people tend to waste it which leads to shortage of water. This ppro
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but it is significantly underdeveloped. The essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence in the third paragraph. Because the response is under the 250-word minimum (237 words), it fails to fully develop the arguments presented. While the main ideas regarding equality and health are relevant, the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished counter-argument prevent a full exploration of the topic. To improve, ensure you complete all sections of your essay and provide a balanced, fully developed discussion that meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' to signal the structure. However, the progression is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Paragraphing is attempted, but the abrupt ending makes the overall organization feel disjointed. Referencing is generally clear, but the mechanical use of transition phrases limits the flow. To reach a higher band, focus on creating more sophisticated links between sentences and ensure that each paragraph is fully developed before moving to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You use some relevant terms like 'low-income backgrounds', 'detrimental effects', and 'prolonged', but there are also instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'make sure the free supply of water' and 'studies who have shown'. Spelling errors like 'Therefor' and 'ppro' (incomplete word) also detract from the quality. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure you proofread for basic spelling and word-choice errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'ensure the equal water supply' (should be 'ensures'), 'humans can not survive prolonged' (should be 'prolonged periods'), and 'studies who have shown' (should be 'studies which have shown'). Subject-verb agreement is inconsistent, and there are minor punctuation issues. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and refining your use of articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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