Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-15
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)
In today's rapidly changing world, the issue is becoming increasingly highlighted. From my perspective, I totally agree that water should be provided freely to every home. In our country, water is a basic need, and it should be free for every home.
Everyone has the right to access necessities.
Water is a basic human right, and it should be available for everyone. Because of this, most poor people cannot afford water bills along with other utility bills. For instance, people in Pakistan are mostly middle class, and they cannot afford water bills. Therefore, water should be provided for free to everyone in the country.
Along with that, the government should make policies about water supply. government should contract with companies so that they can provide free water to all the people. Better infrastructure and great policies can help the government to provide facilities to the population, and it can help the government in the long term. For instance, if the government provides free water supply to the whole population, it can help them in the political campaign.
In conclusion, water supply is a basic human right, and it should be free for every home. Most of the people in our country are middle class, and they cannot afford bills of water. The government should make policies regarding free water supply for every home, which will be a beneficial and significant step toward free supply.
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 takes a clear position agreeing that water should be provided free of charge, addressing the prompt directly. However, the length requirement has not been met, as the response contains only 234 words against the 250-word minimum. This word count penalty directly impacts the Task Achievement score. Furthermore, while main ideas are presented, such as the economic struggles of people in Pakistan and potential political advantages, the development is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the argument that water is a basic human right is restated multiple times without significant extension or deep elaboration. To achieve a higher band score, the essay needs to be expanded to meet the word count threshold and provide more robust, fully developed supporting examples.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a basic logical organisation with an introduction, supporting body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. However, paragraphing is sometimes basic, and transitions between ideas can be mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on 'For instance' and 'Because of this'. The progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by abrupt shifts and simplistic linking devices. While referencing is generally understandable, the overall flow lacks the flexibility and sophistication expected at higher bands. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes inaccurately or excessively within a short space, leading to a somewhat disjointed reading experience. Developing smoother transitions and a more integrated paragraph structure would significantly enhance the coherence of future responses.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for communicating basic ideas, but it remains somewhat repetitive and limited in range. The student frequently recycles basic terms such as 'water', 'free', 'home', and 'basic'. While there are attempts at less common vocabulary like 'infrastructure', 'utility bills', and 'political campaign', overall word choice is simple and lacks precision. There are also slight awkwardness issues in collocations, such as 'afford bills of water'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate throughout the text. To improve lexical resource, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of synonyms, idiomatic expressions, and precise academic collocations rather than repeatedly relying on the same foundational vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and somewhat complex sentence forms, demonstrating a basic control of English grammar. Examples like 'if the government provides free water supply to the whole population, it can help them in the political campaign' show attempts at complex structures. However, there are noticeable structural limitations and repetition of sentence stems. Grammatical accuracy is fair, with many error-free simple sentences, but minor slips and unnatural phrasings occur, such as the omission of articles ('government should contract with companies' instead of 'the government'). Punctuation is generally functional, but overall structural variety and accuracy need to be elevated to secure a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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