Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-10
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)
Since access to clean water is a basic human right, clean water should be supplied to homes without any charge. I strong believe that every individual should have free water in their homes because water is required to stay hydrated and alive.
To begin with, water is essential for livelihood, and it is a basic universal requirement of every human-being. In many countries, we often see that the underground is polluted due to multiple reason, therefore citizens need purified-water ,but the water purifying companies charging some amount to supply clean water to homes. As it is a basic need of a human, governments should use additional budget to pay these water purifying companies because individuals pay heavy taxes in other things due to that reason government should provide this facilitation to their citizens. For example, a person who pays taxes on different products to government, so it should be government's responsibility to take care about the citizen's basic need.
Another reason why I support free-water is eliminating exceptional financial burden. Some companies know that it is a basic need, and they charge highly because they understand the value of it. As a result, customers pay because they do not have any other option. When water will be freely available at home, they have to pay to these companies which would eventually lead to lower financial stress. For example, a company charge more than usual amount for water because they know basic human demand. If water will be free, they will not have to pay for it.
In conclusion, water is basic requirement of humans, it should be funded by government because it is government's responsibility to take care to their citizen's needs.
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 by taking a clear position in favor of free water. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. While you mention that water is a basic need and that governments should fund it through taxes, the arguments are not fully extended. For instance, you could have explored the economic implications or the potential downsides of government-funded water, such as resource management or waste, to provide a more balanced and sophisticated discussion. The ideas are relevant, but the supporting examples are generic and could be more specific to demonstrate a higher level of critical thinking.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Another reason,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the progression of your argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by repetitive phrasing and slightly mechanical transitions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between tax payments and water provision could be more tightly linked. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your main points clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'purified-water,' 'financial burden,' and 'universal requirement.' However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'the underground is polluted' (referring to groundwater) and 'pay heavy taxes in other things.' The range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to convey your ideas with greater nuance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'I strong believe' (should be 'strongly'), 'water purifying companies charging' (should be 'charge'), and 'take care to their citizen's needs' (should be 'take care of'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and hyphenation (e.g., 'free-water'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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