Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-18

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 6.5)

The supply of clean water is a human necessity. Consequently many argue that they should have easy access to it free of cost. I agree that government should ensure clean water supply for everyone, while I disagree that it should be provided free of charge.

Firstly, free and clean water should be provided to everyone because of the enormous needs. Free water guarantees that low-class households and population of rural areas are not deprived of basic human need, otherwise people resort to other unhygienic water sources. As the result, many waterborne diseases can quickly affect everyone and can burden healthcare sector. For instance, public health data demonstrate that subsidizing utility access in developing regions can lower the mortality rate, so governments should make sure base-line of clean water to meet basic needs.

On the other hand, providing unlimited water supply free of charge is financially unsustainable and environmentally risky. In order to provide clean water to millions of homes require massive infrastructure and pipelines. Providing it free will generate no revenue to maintain the supply and without continuous repair the supply can be disturbed more often. Furthermore, the supply of water at zero cost, consumers lose the incentive to conserve it. Unlimited free water would inevitably lead to wastage of water like over watering the garden or ignoring the leaks.

In conclusion, although the supply of clean water is a basic need of humanity, it’s unlimited supply should not be provided free of charge so everyone should pay attention while consuming it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses all parts of the task by presenting a well-developed position on whether access to free water should be a universal right. The introduction establishes a nuanced stance, agreeing with the government's duty to supply clean water while disagreeing that it should be entirely free. Body paragraphs present relevant and extended ideas, discussing both the public health benefits of subsidized utility access and the financial and environmental risks of zero-cost water. For instance, the mention of public health data and waterborne diseases supports the first argument effectively, while the discussion on infrastructure costs and resource wastage reinforces the counter-argument. The ideas are extended and supported well throughout, leading to a clear and consistent position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The essay is divided into appropriate paragraphs, each with a distinct focus: introduction, supportive arguments for provision, counter-arguments regarding cost, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'As the result', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions like 'As the result' could be more natural (e.g., 'As a result'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, guiding the reader smoothly from the introduction of the topic through the counter-arguments to a concise concluding summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, showing flexibility and precision in places. Less common items such as 'subsidizing utility access', 'infrastructure and pipelines', and 'environmentally risky' are used appropriately. However, there are a few minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'low-class households' instead of 'low-income households', and 'base-line of clean water' rather than 'a baseline level of clean water'. Despite these occasional lexical errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise meanings without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The writer successfully employs complex forms, such as conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'In order to provide clean water to millions of homes require massive infrastructure...'). However, there are several grammatical errors present, most notably subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'require massive infrastructure' instead of 'requires', and 'it’s unlimited supply' instead of 'its unlimited supply'). Punctuation and minor structural slips occur, but the majority of sentences remain clear, and the errors only rarely impede communication.

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