Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27

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)

Access to clean water is a basic human right. Therefore, every home should be provided a water supply that is free charge. I agree with this statement.

Firstly, significant number of individuals are not financially stable in this economy.

They had to work for almost 15 hours a day to earn some dollars, through which they may have to pay their house bills and other expenses. Therefore, putting charges on water that should be provided for free, can unnecessarily overwhelm the individuals.

Secondly, water is essential for humans to thrive. It is the main source in farming and other agricultural matters. Putting charges on water may restrict farmers to use it in their crops production.

Hence, without crops, there will be no quality foods available in markets to consume especially wheat.

As a result, people may switch to packaged food which is unhealthy.

In conclusion, we have been able to evolve to present era of modernization only because of water.

Putting charges on water may result in depression among poor individuals and also among people who use it to run their business such as farmers. Therefore, water should be provided for free to all individuals on Earth, as this literally is a basic necessity. Our Earth is mainly consists of water with only 35 percent of the land. Hence, it can be the violation of human rights to restrict water usage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear from the opening—“I agree with this statement”—and you give relevant reasons concerning affordability and agriculture. However, the response is under the required length: it contains 218 words, with 13 words copied from the prompt excluded, so it is 32 words short. This limits how fully you can explain and support your ideas. For example, the claim that charging for water could restrict farmers is relevant, but the link from this to unhealthy packaged food is asserted rather than demonstrated. The conclusion also introduces the claim that Earth is “mainly consists of water” without showing how this supports free household supply. Develop each reason with a specific example and clarify what “free” means in practice.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two reason paragraphs beginning “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. These signposts help readers follow the main points. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with several claims joined by “Therefore,” “Hence,” and “As a result” rather than explained through clear reasoning. The move from farmers’ water costs to consumers switching to packaged food is not sufficiently connected, and the conclusion adds a new point about the proportion of land and water instead of drawing together the earlier arguments. Build clearer links between each claim and its consequence, and keep the conclusion focused on the reasons already discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “financially stable,” “agricultural,” “crops production,” “basic necessity,” and “human rights.” These choices make the subject clear, but several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, which limits the effectiveness of the vocabulary. For instance, “free charge” is missing a word, “some dollars” is vague, and “depression” does not accurately express the likely effect of water costs on poor households. “Quality foods” and “packaged food” are also broad terms where more precise wording would strengthen the argument. Aim for accurate collocations and specific terms, such as household water bills, food production, and financial hardship.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “without crops, there will be no quality foods available” and a relative clause in “water that should be provided for free.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms recur. Examples include “a water supply that is free charge,” “significant number of individuals,” and “Our Earth is mainly consists of water.” The sentence beginning “They had to work” also shifts to past tense without a clear reason, while “restrict farmers to use it” has an incorrect grammatical pattern. Review articles, verb forms, and verb patterns, and proofread each sentence for a complete, correctly formed structure.

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