Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-02

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)

Access to pure water is one of the fundamental human rights. So, water supply should be free for each home. I completely agree with this idea because clean water is imperative for positive health and everyone cannot afford to pay for this.

Firstly, fresh water is essential not only for the diet but also for the economy of the country. If a person drinks unheigenic water, he will suffer from various diseases and these diseases can effect his job if he cannot work properly so this will ultimately effect the whole ecosystem. Additionally, drinking poluted water can also effect the studies of students from all over the world. Similarly, they will face numerous ailments which then need a proper treatment as a result families will suffer from paying high hospital costs and students will also face failures in studies.

Secondly, people living in rural areas cannot afford to pay high expenditures of fresh water with their low income jobs. They hardly survive with the income they get from working in fields so paying extra for clean water with several other bills is nearly impossible for them. Morever, pet animals also need free hiegenic water if pure water is not free then individuals have to buy fresh water not only for them but also for their animals which lead them to give away their favourite animals.

In conclusion, it is better for government to supply clean water in every home to remain safe from these social and environmental problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task and takes a clear position that clean water should be provided free of charge to every home, supporting this with arguments concerning health, education, and rural affordability. However, the task achievement is partially limited because the word count falls slightly short of the minimum requirement at 248 words. Furthermore, while the ideas are relevant, some points are under-developed or generalized, such as the broad claim that unhygienic water affects the ecosystem and global student studies without providing concrete examples or sufficient elaboration. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure the full word count requirement is met and extend the supporting arguments with deeper explanations and specific real-world evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression through an introduction, two distinct body paragraphs focusing on separate arguments, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. However, cohesion at times feels mechanical or repetitive, particularly with the transition words used at the start of paragraphs such as 'Firstly,' 'Additionally,' and 'Similarly,' which do not always forge precise logical links between clauses. Referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, such as the broad pronoun use in the second paragraph. To achieve a higher band, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure that inter-sentence relationships are managed with greater subtlety.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing a sufficient range to communicate basic ideas about water access and health. However, there is a reliance on simple vocabulary alongside noticeable errors in spelling, word choice, and word form that restrict the lexical score. Examples of lexical errors include spelling mistakes such as 'unheigenic' and 'poluted', as well as awkward collocations and word choices like 'low income jobs' instead of 'low-paying jobs', 'high expenditures of fresh water', and 'lead them to give away'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items but lacks precision. To progress, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary, improve spelling accuracy, and focus on natural collocations related to social issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional clauses and relative clauses. There are some accurate simple sentences, but attempts at complex structures frequently contain errors, particularly regarding punctuation, prepositions inside grammatical patterns, and verb forms. Examples include run-on structures and comma splices such as 'he will suffer from various diseases and these diseases can effect his job if he cannot work properly so this will ultimately effect the whole ecosystem'. Furthermore, subject-verb agreement and article usage need tighter control. To move up to the next band, the writer should increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences and refine punctuation to ensure smoother readability.

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

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