Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24

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)

Water is indeed life! Access to clean and safe water is very important for human survival and it is a fundamental right. However, i do not completely agree that every household should get an unlimited water supply at free of charge. In my view, governments should at least guarantee access for a basic amount of clean water and have to charge extra amount for excessive use of it.

Providing free water supply is very crucial for health and basic living. People need water for drinking, cooking and to maintain hygiene at the various places. Every human being has a right to get the clean water as a basic need. In poor communities, particularly where the household incomes are very low, making essential water supply affordable or free could prevent disease and improve their living standards. Therefore, governments have a responsibility to ensure that every individual should get a enough amount of safe drinking water.

On the other hand, providing unlimited water free of charge could create several problems. Firstly, nowadays due to the increase in water pollution and very limited resource of water, the cost of water treatment and it's purification, transportation and maintenance are extremely expensive. If consumers are not going to pay water taxes, government may struggle to finance these services. Completely free water supply could encourage unnecessary consumption. For an example, households might waste water through excessive gardening, car washing or long shower periods and many other reasons.

A more balanced approach would be provided to every household with a sufficient amount of clean water free of charge or to provide it at some subsidiary rate. If the water consumption increased from desired limit, then it could be charged according to excessive usage, with financial benefits available for low-income families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear, well-developed position throughout the essay. In the introduction, the writer disagrees with the notion of completely free and unlimited water, suggesting instead a hybrid model of a free basic allowance combined with charges for excessive use. This position is supported throughout the body paragraphs with relevant ideas, such as the health importance of free water for low-income communities versus the economic and environmental risks of unlimited consumption. The arguments are extended reasonably, and the main ideas are clear. The response aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor for addressing all parts of the task with a clear position and supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The response is appropriately divided into four paragraphs, moving logically from introduction to the case for free basic water, the counter-arguments against unlimited free water, and a concluding balanced proposal. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, including sequencing markers such as "Firstly" and transitions like "On the other hand" and "Therefore." However, there are some minor mechanical or slightly awkward transitions, such as "A more balanced approach would be provided to every household...", which places the verb in a slightly awkward passive construction. Overall, the organizational structure is sound and coherent, fulfilling the Band 7 criteria.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision. Phrases like "fundamental right," "excessive consumption," "water treatment," and "financial benefits" show an ability to use topic-specific terminology accurately. There are, however, occasional slips and minor inaccuracies, such as "at free of charge" (instead of "free of charge"), "it's purification" (misuse of the possessive apostrophe), and "subsidiary rate" (where "subsidized rate" would be more natural). Despite these minor lexical errors, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication, matching the Band 6.5 descriptor closely, rounded to a 7.0 for sufficient range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures, such as "If consumers are not going to pay water taxes, government may struggle to finance these services." There are, nonetheless, a noticeable number of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances. For example, the lowercase pronoun "i," the incorrect prepositional phrase "at free of charge," "get the clean water" (unnecessary article), and "ensure that every individual should get a enough amount" (quantifier error with an uncountable noun). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band, placing it solidly within the Band 6 range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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