Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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)

Nowadays, it is frequently argued that the attainability of clean water is essential for humans; consequently, each household should be provided with a complimentary water supply. I completely disagree with this view, primarily because it will diminish the value of pure water, and it will contribute to excessive budgets to facilitate people with clean water.

One of the main reasons for this is that it will exacerbate the importance of water. Access to clean water is crucial for human survival, so it should be used responsibly. If a free water supply is provided to citizens, it will result in excessive waste of water; for example, individuals will begin to clean their cars frequently with more water, and the use of water in gardens will subsequently increase. Giving free water is viable, but it has drawbacks, such as desalination of water consists of a large proportion of cost involved which the state has to bear. Moreover, water transportation requires water pipelines spread across the city for better accessibility.

On the other hand,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear in the introduction: you completely disagree, and you give relevant concerns about waste and the public cost of supplying water. The examples of washing cars and watering gardens help illustrate your first point. However, the response addresses the task only partially: the second body paragraph is unfinished (“On the other hand,”), and there is no conclusion or developed discussion of how households might pay for or conserve water. The cost point is also unclear because “desalination” is presented as a general expense without explaining when it is needed or how it supports your argument. The response is below the required 250 words, which limits the development of your ideas. Complete the opposing-view discussion and explain your reasons with specific support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The introduction establishes your position, and the first body paragraph groups related points about responsible use, waste and supply costs. Linking expressions such as “for example” and “Moreover” show an attempt to connect supporting details. However, the overall progression is incomplete: the final paragraph begins with “On the other hand,” but contains no argument, leaving the essay without a finished structure or conclusion. Some connections are also difficult to follow, particularly the shift from water waste to desalination and pipeline costs. Plan a complete sequence—position, developed reasons, any counterargument and response, then conclusion—and use transitions that make the relationship between each point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonably varied vocabulary for the topic, including “complimentary water supply,” “exacerbate,” “desalination,” and “accessibility.” These attempts at less common language show range, but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural and make the meaning less precise. For example, “exacerbate the importance of water” does not express your intended point; “diminish the value” in the introduction also differs from the later claim that free water would encourage waste. “Excessive budgets” and “facilitate people with clean water” are awkward collocations. Prefer direct, natural phrasing and check that each word conveys the intended idea. This would make your argument clearer while retaining an appropriate academic register.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including the conditional sentence “If a free water supply is provided to citizens, it will result in excessive waste of water.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors rarely prevent the reader from following your main points. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. In “desalination of water consists of a large proportion of cost involved,” the structure is difficult to interpret; a clearer construction would be “Desalination accounts for a large proportion of the cost.” There is also an unnecessary double space after “Moreover,” and the final fragment, “On the other hand,” is incomplete. Continue using varied sentence forms, but check sentence completeness and revise complex clauses for clear grammatical relationships.

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