Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-20

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 7.5)

Access to clean water is undeniably essential for human survival, and many people argue that every household should therefore receive a free water supply. While I agree that everyone should have guaranteed access to a basic amount of clean water, I do not believe that an unlimited supply should be provided entirely free of charge.

To begin with, providing free access to a basic quantity of clean water could play a crucial role in protecting public health and reducing social inequality. Water is indispensable for drinking, cooking and maintaining basic hygiene, meaning that denying people access to it can have serious consequences for their well-being. This is particularly relevant to low-income households, which may struggle to meet essential living expenses. For instance, families living below the poverty line may have to prioritise food and housing costs over utility bills. Ensuring that every household receives a minimum amount of clean water free of charge would therefore provide a basic level of security and help prevent vulnerable people from being deprived of an essential resource.

However, I would argue that making the entire water supply free of charge could have several unintended consequences. Providing unlimited water without any financial incentive to conserve it could encourage unnecessary consumption and lead to considerable wastage. Moreover, supplying and treating water requires substantial investment in pipelines, purification facilities and maintenance. If households were not required to contribute towards these costs, governments could face significant financial pressure, potentially affecting the quality and reliability of water infrastructure. A more sustainable approach would therefore be to provide every household with a free basic allowance while charging a reasonable amount for consumption beyond that threshold. This would protect people's fundamental needs while simultaneously encouraging responsible use of water.

In conclusion, I strongly support the principle that everyone should have access to clean water, regardless of their financial circumstances. However, rather than making the entire supply free, I believe that providing a guaranteed basic quantity at no cost and charging for excessive consumption would be a more equitable and sustainable solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by taking a nuanced position that distinguishes between basic water needs and excessive consumption. The thesis is clearly stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the mention of low-income households and families living below the poverty line. The arguments regarding public health, infrastructure investment, and resource conservation are logically extended and directly contribute to answering the prompt. The response meets all the requirements of Band 8 for this criterion by presenting a well-developed position with fully supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

Ideas are logically sequenced and the progression of the argument is easy to follow from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic: the benefits of free basic water versus the economic and environmental risks of unlimited free supply. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'Moreover', and 'A more sustainable approach would therefore be' are used naturally and appropriately without feeling mechanical. Referencing and substitution are handled skillfully throughout the text, ensuring a smooth and coherent read that easily satisfies Band 7 requirements, pushing towards Band 8.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a wide and flexible lexical resource suitable for an academic response. Less common vocabulary items and collocations are used effectively, such as 'indispensable', 'social inequality', 'unintended consequences', 'financial incentive', and 'equitable and sustainable solution'. Word choice is generally precise and appropriate for the context. While there are very occasional minor stylistic choices, communication is completely unimpeded, and the vocabulary shows a high degree of sophistication that aligns well with the Band 8 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of complex grammatical structures used accurately and flexibly. The writer successfully employs conditional and participial constructions, relative clauses, and multi-clause sentences, such as 'Ensuring that every household receives a minimum amount of clean water free of charge would therefore provide a basic level of security...' The majority of sentences are entirely error-free, and punctuation is managed with a high level of control. Only rare, minor slips occur, placing the response firmly in the Band 8 category for grammatical range and accuracy.

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