Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30
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 6.0)
With increasing pollution around the world, people are getting a lot of waterborne and foodborne diseases; therefore, people should drink purified water, but with global warming, water bodies are decreasing significantly and its not safe to drink water directly from them; thus, we require water purification plants. Some people believe getting clean water is a basic human right and every home should have a water supply free of charge.
In my opinion, I completely agree with this statement and would like to explain the reason behind it. We are paying heavy taxes to the government, so its their duty to provide basic facilities to the people, like a clean water supply in every household. Because of increasing pollution, people just can't rely on water supply from water bodies directly; it can be a major factor in deteriorating their health and it's not possible to purify water at large scales in the houses, though people are still trying their best and using water filters, etc. Charging the general population for water supply is completely unfair; we are already paying bills for common utilities, and adding one more to the list is taking a toll on people's pockets.
In contrast, government/ councils recan charging people with heavy water bill is fair because of the heavy cost included in the setup and process of water purification. New technologies and devices are needed, and an updated system is needed to reduce manpower and purify water to prevent disease. Water bodies are contaminated with several dangerous chemicals due to global warming and environmental changes. So, a clean water supply should be free of cost and available to every individual.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position on whether free access to clean water should be a basic human right. The writer outlines their stance strongly in the introduction and maintains it throughout the essay. Ideas are extended with reasons such as government duty through taxation and the unfairness of charging for a basic utility. However, the development in places tends to generalize slightly, particularly in the concession paragraph where the counterargument is somewhat blurred and contradictory. For instance, the sentence starting with 'In contrast, government/ councils recan charging people...' is a bit muddled in expressing the opposing view. Despite this minor confusion, the core requirements of Task Achievement are met well, aligning comfortably with a Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear logical progression from the introductory problem to the writer's stance, supporting arguments, and a counterargument. Paragraphing is used, though the transition into the final paragraph feels abrupt and slightly confused in connecting the opposing view back to the writer's thesis. Cohesive devices such as 'therefore', 'thus', 'In my opinion', and 'In contrast' are employed to guide the reader, although referencing is occasionally imprecise. For example, pronouns like 'its' and 'it' sometimes lack immediate clear antecedents. Overall, the organizational structure is functional and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suited for the task, incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'waterborne and foodborne diseases', 'purification plants', and 'utilities'. There are several attempts to use less common items, but occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation appear, such as 'recan charging' instead of 'recalling' or 'recognising that charging', and 'taking a toll on people's pockets'. Spelling and word-form errors are generally minor and do not impede communication, though they prevent the vocabulary score from reaching higher bands. The lexical range is sufficient to meet the task requirements adequately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-like structures ('Because of increasing pollution, people just can't rely...'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. These include missing apostrophes ('its their duty' instead of 'it's', 'its not safe' instead of 'it's'), run-on compound sentences linked with commas rather than conjunctions or semicolons, and awkward phrasing in the final paragraph. While these errors occur frequently enough to affect the frequency of error-free sentences, they rarely impede overall communication. This performance reflects a typical Band 6 grammar profile.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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