Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-08

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 6.5)

It is believed that the availabililty of clean water is a fundamental human right so, it should be provided free of cost to all homes. I disagree with this sentiment because providing fresh water supplies to homes require major economic and infrastructural challenges. Also, whatever is availble for free, people start misusing it.

Providing free fresh water would be an economic burden on the governments. Before reaching the public, the water is treated, tested and filtered to be fit for use. Also, special piping network is made which require regular maintenance. All of these processes need a large sum of money due to which the public has to contribute for their share. Governments can provide subsidized water to homes; however, factories and industries consuming a large sum of water should help generate the revenue.

Another reason for my disagreement is that it is in the human nature not to value anything that is available for free. People start wasting water without paying any heed to it. With the limited supply of fresh water available, humans cannot afford to waste it. For example, in many countries like Pakistan, where governments do not deter, people dig up wells at their homes and use water as their personal property. Policy-makers should make laws to conserve water and strict actions should be taken in cases of violation.

In conclusion, even though water is a basic human right, it cannot be provided for free because it can lead to unwarranted wastage and financial difficulties for the governments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—“I disagree”—and remains consistent in the conclusion. You address the question with two relevant reasons: the cost of treatment and infrastructure, and the risk of waste when water is free. The explanation of treatment, testing, filtration and pipe maintenance gives the first reason useful support, while the Pakistan example helps illustrate the second. This meets the task well. To strengthen the response further, develop the example more precisely: explain how charging for household water would discourage waste, and clarify what the example of private wells demonstrates about free provision. The claim that people generally fail to value anything free is also broad; qualify it or support it with a more specific illustration.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction states your view, each body paragraph develops a separate reason, and the conclusion restates your position. The progression from government costs to conservation is logical, and signposting such as “Another reason” and “In conclusion” makes the organisation easy to follow. You also use linking expressions to show contrast, for example, “however” when discussing subsidised water. At times, connections between claims could be more explicit. In particular, the example about wells does not clearly show whether the water is free or how it relates to household charges. Explain that link directly, and vary some of the more formulaic transitions to make cohesion feel more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “infrastructural challenges,” “subsidized,” “conserve water,” and “violation.” These choices help communicate the main arguments, and the meaning remains clear despite some inaccurate or awkward wording. There are spelling errors in “availabililty” and “availble,” and several collocations could be more natural: “provided free of cost,” “a large sum of money,” and “governments do not deter” are not the most precise expressions in context. Aim to use topic-specific phrases accurately and check spelling carefully. More precise wording would also help distinguish free access to a basic amount of water from unlimited free consumption.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “even though water is a basic human right” and a relative clause in “industries consuming a large sum of water.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and errors rarely obstruct understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain. For example, “water supplies to homes require” should be “water supply to homes requires,” and “special piping network is made which require” needs an article and agreement: “a special piping network is built, which requires.” The opening also needs punctuation after “right” rather than “so,” and “people start wasting water” would fit the general argument better as “people may start wasting water.” Greater consistency in agreement and sentence punctuation would improve control.

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