Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12
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 often argued that every home should have access to clean and safe water and it is provided free of cost, In this contemporary era, access to clean water is a basic human right. I wholeheartedly agree with this view due to the fact that water is essential for maintaining good health and provided water free of cost to reduce inequality.
The primary reason i support this perspective is that the clean and safe water is crucial for people health and well-being, Every individual needs water for drinking, bathing, cooking and maintaining personal hygiene. If people have no access to safe drinking water, they may be exposed to variious harmful bacteria and other contaminants. To illustrate this, drinking unsafe water can lead to several illnesess, such as diarrhoea and water-borne diseases, mainly affecting the children, Therefore, provide free supply of safe water help maintain the public health and improve resident's quality of life.
Another significant argument is that offer free water can promote equality among individuals. Low-income families may struggle to pay for safe water, particularly when other household expenses are also high. If governments offer free supply of water, poorer families can fulfil their essential needs, without facing additional financial pressure, Furthermore, the authorities have a responsibility to ensure that all citizens have access to all basic necessties. To exemplify this, free-water supply companies can help disadvantage communities maintain proper sanitation and hygiene. Hence, providing safe and free water reduce the inequality and improve basic living standards.
In conclusion, i firmly agree with this idea that access to clean water is fundamental right because it's the basic necesstie, everyone use water on a daily basis, Moreover, offer free water help low- income domestic units fulfill their basic needs and protect their children from various diseases.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position throughout the response. The essay agrees that clean water is a basic human right and that it should be provided free of charge, supporting this stance with arguments regarding health and social equality. Ideas are generally well-extended, such as the discussion on how unsafe water causes illnesses like diarrhoea and how free access assists low-income families. However, some supporting points are slightly repetitive, and the development could be more thorough to reach the higher bands. For instance, the argument regarding public health could benefit from a more concrete example beyond general mentions of children and water-borne diseases. Overall, the response fulfills the task requirements effectively, positioning it solidly within Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, achieving a 6.5 due to slight under-development in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, as well as distinct body paragraphs dedicated to different arguments (health and equality). The writer uses basic cohesive devices such as 'The primary reason', 'Another significant argument', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through the text. However, paragraphing and referencing show some mechanical traits and occasional punctuation issues, such as comma splices ('...safe water and it is provided free of cost, In this contemporary era...'). Furthermore, referencing is sometimes imprecise, and cohesive devices are occasionally over-used or repetitive in structure. Overall, the logical progression is clear enough to ensure the message is easily followed, warranting a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common words and phrases such as 'contemporary era', 'water-borne diseases', and 'additional financial pressure'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'variious' instead of 'various', 'illnesess' instead of 'illnesses', 'necessties' instead of 'necessities', and 'disadvantage communities' instead of 'disadvantaged communities'. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. The writer uses words repetitively, such as 'basic' and 'free', indicating a somewhat limited flexibility. Consequently, the lexical resource is characteristic of a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'If people have no access to safe drinking water, they may be exposed...' and 'If governments offer free supply of water, poorer families can fulfil their essential needs...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb forms, articles, and pluralization, such as 'provided water free of cost', 'the clean and safe water is crucial for people health', 'provide free supply', and 'offer free water'. Punctuation is also problematic, marked by comma splices and lowercase letters at the start of sentences following commas ('...cost, In this contemporary...'). Despite these flaws, the meaning remains clear, supporting a Band 6.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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