Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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)

To be able to drink fresh water is a basic human right. So, every household has a water supply that is distributed free of charge. I agree with the statement because it will help people become financially stable and also help control water-borne diseases.

As humans are part of nature, they have every right to drink clean water without paying. If clean water is made free, it will help people feel less burdened by water bills and save for their future plans. For example, people who come from poor families have lots of challenges, and if the government made water to be out of cost, then it would help to reduce their mental stress related to paying water bills. It will obviously help a country's economic stability.

Similarly, when clean water is made free, then it will also help in disease control. Many people are becoming ill due to unhygienic water in some parts of a country; if they are able to drink fresh water, they may be far from those waterborne diseases. For example, people in Africa do not have clean water, which leads people to suffer from different waterborne diseases. Diarrhoea and dysentery are becoming common in those areas, so water should be made free in those areas.

In conclusion, access to potable water is a basic right of every individual, and each home should have a free water supply, as it will help people become financially stable and free from disease as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you agree that households should receive clean water without charge, and you give two relevant reasons—reducing financial pressure and preventing waterborne illness. The examples about poorer families and illness in parts of Africa help connect these reasons to the topic. However, the financial argument is mainly about reducing bills and stress; the claim that this would improve a country’s economic stability is asserted rather than explained. The disease example is also broad and does not show how a free household supply would ensure safe water. The response is four words below the required minimum. Develop each reason with a more specific explanation or example, and clarify whether you mean a basic free allowance or unlimited free use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “Similarly,” “For example,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, however. The opening “So” makes the second sentence sound like a consequence, although it is intended to introduce your position, and “Similarly” does not precisely describe the shift from financial benefits to disease prevention. In the second body paragraph, the move from a general claim to Africa and then to specific illnesses could be more carefully connected. Use transitions that express the exact relationship between ideas and make references such as “those areas” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “water supply,” “water bills,” “waterborne diseases,” and “potable water,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also noticeable word-choice and collocation problems that limit precision. “Water is made out of cost” is not a natural way to express free provision; “provided at no cost” would be clearer. “People may be far from those waterborne diseases” is also an imprecise expression, and “fresh water” does not necessarily mean water that is safe to drink. The phrase “economic stability” is more formal, but its meaning is not clearly linked to the preceding point. Build a wider set of accurate collocations for public services, affordability, and safe drinking water, and avoid repeating “free” without specifying what is provided.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some complex structures, particularly conditional clauses such as “if clean water is made free” and “if they are able to drink fresh water.” These help explain cause and effect, and the main message remains understandable. Some grammatical choices are inaccurate or awkward, though. In the introduction, “every household has a water supply” does not express the intended recommendation; use a modal such as “should have.” The construction “if the government made water to be out of cost” is faulty, and “it will help” shifts tense after the hypothetical “if.” The sentence beginning “Many people are becoming ill” also combines a present progressive with a general condition in a way that could be more controlled. Practise consistent conditional forms and modal structures, while varying sentence patterns accurately.

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