Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02
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)
Many individual argue that Access to clean water is a basic human right. Therefore every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge. i partially agree with this point of view because providing unlimited water totally free is not practical .
on the one hand there are several reasons why water should be free for every household .
firstly water should be free as it is essential for life and basic need of every citizen authorities must provide it free of cost because people can not survive without it and can suffer from serious illnesses there those who can not afford may get clean water free of cost as having water is blessing .
on the other hand providing unlimited water free of cost can create many problems one major issue is wastage people may waste water on washing unnecessary stuffs like car , house and it can create problem ralated to sewage system also it will burden on government financial ministry as it has cost of maintainance of sewage pipe through which water is regulated .
In conclusion, while I agree that access to clean water is a basic human right and a minimum amount should be free for every home, I believe that providing unlimited free water is unsustainable. Governments should adopt a balanced approach where basic needs are met for free but excessive use is charged to avoid waste and financial pressure.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is identifiable: you partly agree, supporting free access to essential water while opposing unlimited free use. The conclusion restates this distinction and proposes charging for excessive consumption. However, the response addresses the issue only partially because the supporting ideas are brief and some links are unclear. For example, the point that water is essential is relevant, but the discussion of illness and people who cannot afford it is not developed with a specific explanation or example. The concern about government costs is also asserted rather than explained in detail. The response contains 207 words, below the 250-word minimum; 32 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each main reason with explanation and a relevant example.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. Phrases such as “on the one hand,” “on the other hand” and “In conclusion” help signal the main stages of the argument. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited: several points are joined into long sequences, so the relationship between them is not always clear. For instance, the first body paragraph moves from water being essential to illness and affordability without clearly separating or explaining these ideas. The second paragraph similarly combines waste, sewage and government costs. Use clearer topic sentences and develop one central point at a time, with linking and referencing that show how each supporting sentence relates to it.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “basic human right,” “unlimited water,” “wastage,” and “financial pressure.” These choices make your main argument understandable, and the conclusion uses some appropriate language to describe a balanced policy. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “washing unnecessary stuffs,” “burden on government financial ministry,” and “cost of maintainance.” Spelling and word-form errors also reduce precision. Aim to use more natural topic-specific expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, you could describe “excessive consumption,” “pressure on public finances,” and the “maintenance of water infrastructure” to express these ideas more precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrastive structure in “while I agree …, I believe …” and a reason clause beginning “because.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include missing or incorrect sentence boundaries in the opening, “people can not survive without it and can suffer,” and the unclear construction “there those who can not afford.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, and some sentences run several ideas together without clear grammatical control. Practise forming complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles and punctuation. Breaking long sentences into shorter, accurately controlled units would improve clarity.
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