Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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)

Water is a basic unit of life. It is a crucial to have contamination free water for everyone, so it should be provided free of cost in homes. I will be neutral on this point, although water is necessary for living, it should be free in small remote regions where the clean water is not available. However, there should be a limit of its free usage, after this limit there should be tax for its utilization.

One the one hand, water is a basic and important component in households, as it is involved in cooking and cleaning purposes. Moreover, in remote areas where the water supply is not available, the government should provide it free of cost. For instance, in Pakistan the prime minister has allocated free filtering systems in small villages where there is water shortage. This step provides the water free of cost in these areas.

On the other hand, its supply should be limited in well established cities, and their should be taxing systems in these cities. This is due to the fact that the cleaning of water requires some sophisticated methods that are costly for government. For instance, in big housing colonies such as Garden city in Pakistan has established some NGOs that collect money for the water purification in the remote areas. This helps in to supply contamination free water equally in both big cities and remote areas.

In conclusion, as pollution free water is basic need for living, it should be provided free in areas that face water shortage, whilst, putting tax on clear water is crucial in big cities, as cleaning of it requires large amount which government cannot bear alone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a qualified position: free provision is justified in water-scarce remote areas, while users in cities should contribute to costs. The Pakistan examples give the discussion some relevant support, and the conclusion restates your view. However, the response does not fully resolve the question of whether every home should receive a free supply: the opening says you are “neutral,” while the conclusion makes a more definite distinction by location. The argument also shifts between charging for use above a limit and taxing city water without explaining how the policy would work or why city households should be treated differently. Clarify your position from the introduction and develop the fairness and affordability implications of your proposal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the two sides, and the examples are placed alongside the points they are intended to support. However, progression is not always clear: the opening introduces a usage limit, but the body paragraphs focus instead on remote areas and city taxes. Some links are mechanical, and references such as “This step” and “This helps” do not always make the relationship between the example and the main argument precise. Make each paragraph develop one clearly stated point, and use transitions to show how the evidence supports your position rather than simply adding another claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “water shortage,” “water purification,” “filtering systems” and “sophisticated methods,” which helps communicate the subject. There is some attempt to vary expressions for clean water, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “basic unit of life,” “contamination free water,” “free of cost” and “taxing systems.” Repetition of “free” and “water” also limits flexibility. These choices are generally understandable, but they sometimes make the argument less precise. Aim for natural collocations and consistent terminology—for example, distinguish between a free basic allowance, charges for excess consumption and public funding—so the policy is expressed clearly and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “although,” “where” and “as.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors occur across sentence structures and agreement. For example, “I will be neutral on this point, although…” joins ideas awkwardly, while “their should be taxing systems” has an incorrect subject form and “Garden city … has established” does not form a clear grammatical relationship between the place and the organisation. There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries, as in “as pollution free water is basic need.” Practise building complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles and punctuation when editing.

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