Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19
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)
Water covers almost 71% of Earth's surface. About 3% of water is fresh water which is consumed. Water is a really important element of our nature and mankind would not have existed without it. Humans are careless and merely think about consumation and preservation of water. Nowadays, people do have access to clean water for basic house chores. However, having a water supply which is free of cost can cause chaos. I agree that clean water is a basic human right but i also believe that it should not be costless as it can lead to shortage of fresh water. In this essay, we will disscuss the above mentioned points.
There is no doubt that water is a basic human right but having free access to it can cause disrupt in the nature which can end up in fresh water shortage. Some people argue that water should be costless just because it's a human right. However, they don't get the memo that water preservation is also as necessary. Having free access to water means more wasteage. The rate of water usage is much higher than it's preservation.
Moreover, the global water reservoirs produce million of gallons of fresh water each day. Due to overpopulation, it may not be enough for the forseeable future. This is why water should not be free of charge. People can misuse it in several ways without any care in the world. Extra usage of water, when it's not even needed, can also harm the marine life and take away a significant component of nature which is not doeable.
In coclusion, water bodies are not infinite but very important for life on Earth so people should not be given free access to water supply. Campaigns should be started to raise awareness for preservation of water.
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 student addresses the task by discussing whether free clean water is a basic human right or a potential cause of water shortage. A clear position is established in the introduction where the writer states: 'I agree that clean water is a basic human right but i also believe that it should not be costless as it can lead to shortage of fresh water.' Ideas are extended throughout the body paragraphs, touching upon water wastage, overpopulation, and marine life. However, some arguments tend to over-generalize and lack specific real-world examples to fully support the points made, placing this performance at Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with logical paragraphing, separating the introduction, body points, and conclusion adequately. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are utilized to guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally repetitive or simplistic. Paragraph transitions work reasonably well, but the progression of ideas in the second body paragraph feels slightly mechanical. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'overpopulation', 'reservoirs', and 'preservation'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('consumation' instead of consumption, 'wasteage' instead of wastage, 'forseeable' instead of foreseeable, 'doeable' instead of doable, 'coclusion' instead of conclusion) and informal phrasing like 'don't get the memo'. These inaccuracies in spelling and word choice constrain the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and relative clauses such as 'Water covers almost 71% of Earth's surface' and 'water supply which is free of cost can cause chaos'. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including lowercase 'i' pronouns, punctuation omissions, and awkward phrasing like 'cause disrupt in the nature'. Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, demonstrating control typical of a Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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