Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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 8.0)

Access to clean and safe water is a fundamental human right. Therefore, it is often argued that every household should be provided with a water supply without having to pay for it. While I agree that everyone should have access to basic quantities of clean water, I do not believe that an unlimited supply should be completely free.

Firstly, providing free access to clean water can protect public health and support disadvantaged families. Water is essential for drinking, cooking and maintaining personal hygiene, and a lack of safe water can lead to serious diseases. In particular, low-income households may struggle to pay for essential utilities. If governments provide a basic amount of clean water free of charge, poorer families can meet their fundamental needs without experiencing financial hardship. Moreover, widespread access to treated water can reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases and consequently lower pressure on healthcare systems.

However, making the entire water supply free could create financial and environmental problems. Supplying clean water requires substantial expenditure on treatment plants, pipelines, maintenance and infrastructure. If households do not contribute towards these costs, governments would have to finance them through taxation or other public funds. In addition, completely free water could encourage unnecessary consumption. People may be less careful about their usage if they are not required to pay for it, which could contribute to water shortages, particularly in regions where freshwater resources are limited.

In my view, the most practical approach would be to guarantee every household a basic quantity of clean water free of charge while charging for excessive consumption. This would ensure that everyone can meet their essential needs while encouraging responsible use of this valuable resource.

Overall, clean water should be accessible to everyone as a basic right, but providing an unlimited supply entirely free of charge is neither financially nor environmentally sustainable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, presenting a clear and well-developed position throughout. The writer addresses the prompt by drawing a nuanced distinction between a basic right to clean water and the provision of an unlimited free supply. Ideas are well extended and supported with relevant arguments regarding public health, financial expenditure, and environmental sustainability. For instance, the discussion on how governments would finance infrastructure through taxation or other public funds demonstrates a deep consideration of the issue. To move even higher, the response could incorporate slightly more specific real-world examples rather than relying purely on conceptual arguments, though the current level of extension successfully fulfills the criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced, presenting a clear progression from the introduction to the supporting arguments and the final balanced conclusion. All aspects of cohesion are well managed through a natural range of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In my view', which guide the reader smoothly through the writer's line of reasoning. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme—the benefits of basic free water, the drawbacks of an entirely free supply, and the proposed practical compromise. Referencing throughout the essay is clear, ensuring that the relationships between ideas remain transparent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The writer demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary, skilfully incorporating uncommon lexical items appropriate for an academic discussion. Words and phrases such as 'fundamental human right', 'disadvantaged families', 'water-borne diseases', 'substantial expenditure', and 'environmentally sustainable' are used with a high degree of precision and natural collocation. There are only occasional minor limitations or standard phrasings, but word choice remains sophisticated throughout. Spelling and word formation are entirely accurate, allowing the message to be communicated with clarity and stylistic flair.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response exhibits a wide range of complex sentence structures used with a high degree of flexibility and control. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, featuring well-managed conditional structures, relative clauses, and participial phrases, such as 'If households do not contribute towards these costs, governments would have to finance them' and 'People may be less careful about their usage if they are not required to pay for it'. Grammar and punctuation are handled expertly, with accurate control over articles, plurals, and prepositions inside complex grammatical patterns. Only very occasional, negligible slips occur, which do not detract from the overall high quality of the writing.

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