Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

Nowadays, many people believe that access to drinking water is a basic human right. Therefore, every home should have a water supply that is provided free of cost. I completely agree with this view because clean water is essential for drinking and maintaining hygiene.

First, one major reason is that clean water is a basic human right and an essential need for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. However, people from poor families may struggle to pay water bills and may use unsafe water. For example, children who drink contaminated water can become ill and their families may not be able to afford medical expenses. Furthermore, governments should provide free clean water to protect people's health and reduce the risk of diseases.

On the other hand, every home should have a water supply that is provided free of cost because free water can reduce inequality and help low-income families to save money. While poor people can use their money to buy food and daily essentials. For instance, low-income families may spend their money on healthcare and education for their children. As a result, the people may become healthy and lead their lives without waterborne diseases. Therefore, governments should supply clean drinking water for every home to maintain hygiene.

In conclusion, everyone should have access to drinking water to lead their life without facing any difficulties and every home should be provided with clean water supply for daily essentials, such as drinking, cleaning, and cooking, whereas people also should be made aware of unsafe water.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you completely agree that households should receive clean water free of charge, and you give relevant reasons involving health and affordability. The example of children becoming ill from contaminated water helps illustrate the health argument. However, the response addresses the issue only partially because the reasons are repeated rather than developed in depth; the second body paragraph largely restates that free water helps low-income families. The conclusion also introduces public awareness of unsafe water without explaining how this supports your position. The response contains 221 words, below the 250-word minimum; 31 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each main reason with a fuller explanation or a specific example, and meet the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the main position is generally easy to follow. You use signposts such as “First,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” to show the stages of your argument. However, progression within the body paragraphs is uneven: “On the other hand” suggests a contrasting view, but the paragraph continues to support your agreement. The sentence beginning “While poor people can use their money” is also left as a fragment, interrupting the flow. Repeated references to free water and low-income families make the argument feel circular. Use transitions that reflect the actual relationship between ideas, connect the fragment to a complete sentence, and organise each paragraph around a distinct reason.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the topic, including “contaminated water,” “low-income families,” “inequality,” and “waterborne diseases.” These choices show some ability to use topic-specific language, and the meaning is generally clear. However, the range is limited by repeated phrases such as “free of cost,” “clean water,” and “every home,” while some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “lead their lives without waterborne diseases” and “clean water supply.” Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated wording without forcing overly formal vocabulary. For example, you could describe the benefit as reducing household expenses or preventing water-related illness, then explain the point in your own words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including the conditional example “children who drink contaminated water can become ill” and the clause beginning “because free water can reduce inequality.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning. However, there are recurring problems with sentence construction and punctuation. “While poor people can use their money to buy food and daily essentials” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence; join it to the following sentence or rewrite it as a full statement. In the conclusion, “people also should be made aware” has awkward adverb placement, and the final sentence is overloaded with linked ideas. Practise complete clause structures and use punctuation to separate ideas, while retaining the complex sentences you already attempt.

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