Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06
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)
Fundamental human rights are the essential rights of an individual to live on Earth. Every human should have access to rights like freedom, clean water, freedom of speech, and basic needs like food, a home, and clothes. Like this, clean water is an essential need of our daily life. We use water to drink, wash dishes, cook, and perform many other tasks.
Water is a basic necessity of our daily life. We cannot live without water. Every day, our body needs 8 glasses of it. Purified water is safe for our health, and we can also use it for cleaning and cooking purposes in our homes. Clean water should be available for everyone. If a community does not have access to clean water, it can cause many diseases and these diseases can be spread through water.
Water is the major source of our life. However, it is not practically possible to provide free water to every home. The government should be responsible for producing clean water for the citizens. But pipe maintenance and good-quality pipes can possibly be installed in different areas. House owners should install water purifiers in their homes for clean water. The government can ensure that the water is purified properly and that households can obtain sufficient water.
In conclusion, the government can't provide them free of charge because it is not cost-effective, but install filters in different areas. People can also install small water purifiers in their houses. In my opinion, it is easier to install large systems in houses.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the task partially, presenting a position that is somewhat unclear and shifting throughout the essay. The student starts by discussing basic human rights and water as a necessity, and eventually concludes that providing free water is not cost-effective, which touches upon the prompt. However, the ideas are limited and under-developed. For instance, the argument that the government cannot provide free water due to cost is stated abruptly without sufficient elaboration or concrete examples. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to present a fully developed, well-supported position that directly evaluates whether water should be provided free of charge, exploring both sides of the argument with greater depth and clear logical extensions.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is some basic organization evident in the division of paragraphs, but the essay lacks a clear overall progression. The movement between ideas feels disjointed, particularly in the opening paragraph where sentences like 'Like this, clean water is an essential need' create an awkward transition. Furthermore, cohesive devices are handled inadequately or mechanically, as seen in repetitive phrases and abrupt shifts between sentences. Paragraphing is used, but the internal structure of the paragraphs does not consistently guide the reader smoothly through a well-developed argument. To improve cohesion, the writer should employ a wider range of appropriate linking words and ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one with clear referencing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic points about water and health. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'purified water', 'maintenance', and 'cost-effective', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'pipe maintenance and good-quality pipes can possibly be installed in different areas' and repetitive use of words like 'daily life' and 'clean water'. These lexical shortcomings reflect a restricted range. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to use a broader and more precise range of vocabulary, incorporating more sophisticated phrasing and natural collocations related to public utilities and government policy without relying heavily on simple repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, such as 'If a community does not have access to clean water, it can cause many diseases...', attempts at complexity are frequently accompanied by errors. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues, awkward phrasing like 'because it is not cost-effective, but install filters', and inappropriate prepositions. These errors can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer must demonstrate greater control over complex sentence patterns, improve the accuracy of verb forms and connectors, and ensure that sentences are structured with greater grammatical precision.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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