Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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)

Exposure to clean water is a basic human right of an individual. Therefore, each house should have a water supply, which requires no cost. I agree with the statement, and my reasons will be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, water is the most important part of our lives. Without water, people cannot survive. Clean water is a basic thing, which humans need to survive in this world. It is the responsibility of the government to provide every home with a water supply free of cost. People pay taxes to the government, so the government should benefit the community by providing a free water supply. For example, the government collects taxes on every item, such as house tax, road tax, tolls, income tax and many more. They have enough money to spend on the people, so it is important for them to provide a free water supply in every home.

Furthermore, clean water is important for human beings because it provides many health benefits, such as improving skin and preventing water-borne diseases. Tap water is harmful to the human body. People who drink tap water suffer from various diseases. An individual can become sick by drinking tap water because tap water includes a lot of bacteria. This is the reason why clean water is important for maintaining good health, and the government can provide clean water to the community free of cost.

To conclude, access to clean water is a basic human right, which is required for life. The government can provide clean water to society because people pay taxes. Moreover, clean water also provides various health benefits, such as it prevents water borne disease.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—“I agree with the statement”—and you maintain it in the conclusion. You give relevant reasons, including the government’s responsibility to use tax revenue and the health value of safe water. However, the two points are not developed equally: the tax paragraph lists several taxes but does not explain how a free household supply could be funded or managed, while the health paragraph makes broad claims about tap water without evidence or a clear distinction between unsafe and treated tap water. The response addresses the question, but fuller explanation and a specific, credible example would make the argument more convincing and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “To begin with” and “Furthermore,” and a conclusion. The main ideas are generally easy to follow, and each paragraph has a central topic. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the first repeats that water is essential before moving to taxes, and the second restates the importance of clean water and its health benefits several times. Linking phrases such as “This is the reason why” are used mechanically, and “they” in the tax paragraph has an unclear reference. Organise each paragraph around one developed claim, then use clearer links to show how the supporting explanation follows.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main points, including “basic human right,” “water-borne diseases,” “community,” and “taxes.” However, the range is limited by repeated use of “water,” “government,” “important,” and “provide,” and some expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “requires no cost” and “benefit the community by providing a free water supply.” The claim that “Tap water is harmful” also uses an overly broad term where a more precise distinction is needed. Broaden your vocabulary with accurate phrases for public services, water treatment, and funding, and check collocations so that your wording sounds natural and specific.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including the relative clause “which requires no cost” and the reason clause beginning “because it provides many health benefits.” Most ideas remain understandable, but the sentence patterns are often basic, and some grammatical choices are awkward or unclear. For example, “each house should have a water supply, which requires no cost” makes the relative clause’s reference unclear, while “People who drink tap water suffer” presents a broad claim as a general fact. The conclusion’s “which is required for life” also attaches less clearly to the intended idea. Practise building varied complex sentences with clear clause references and carefully controlled general statements.

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