Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some countries owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case? Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Owning a home is crucial for people in some countries rather than renting. This is because people spend a large amount on rent, and it is a positive situation if someone owns their house in this era.

It is undeniable that people spend a significant amount of their income on paying rent today. It is a primary area in which savings are used, and individuals don't enjoy luxury lifestyles. Owning a house has become a necessity in some nations because it gives a sense of security and safety. Families with their own residences save a lot of money for keeping that amount for their hard times or to use in any difficult situations. Therefore, they feel secure and have peace of mind, because they are confident that they have their own roof. However, renting families always worry about managing their financial expenses. For instance, they are worried about the rent, and if it is not paid on time, they might lose their rental residency. So they are mentally insecure.

Owning a house is definitely a positive situation despite some of the drawbacks for any family because it's their own property. For example, they have the right to use it on their own or they can rent it out to others. It might be a source of income for them; moreover, no doubt, personal property gives identity to the owners. Some disadvantages are that owning a house is not easy in this period since it demands an enormous amount of money from families, which they cannot afford easily. In some countries, huge taxes are paid for owning houses, which puts a huge strain on finances. It takes many years of struggle to buy a house; however, after buying it, it serves many purposes.

In conclusion, owning a house is a positive situation, and its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It benefits in the long run, regardless of some negative aspects, because it is a source of security and safety.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both parts of the question and maintain a clear view that home ownership is positive. Your explanation of why it matters—security, peace of mind, and avoiding rent-related worries—is relevant, and you also acknowledge costs and taxes before concluding that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. This meets the task well, though the reasons are not equally developed: the financial-security point receives examples, while the claim that owning a home gives people “identity” is asserted rather than explained. The discussion of why ownership is especially important in some countries could also be more specific. To strengthen the response, explain the social or cultural factors behind this preference and develop each supporting point with a clearer consequence or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph explaining the appeal of ownership, a paragraph weighing advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion that restates your position. Ideas generally progress logically, and linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. However, some connections feel mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “because” and “however,” and the second body paragraph moves quickly from personal use to rental income, identity, purchase costs, and taxes. The reference in “keeping that amount” is also not fully clear. Group related points more deliberately and use pronouns or transitions that make relationships between ideas precise; this would make the progression smoother and more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “sense of security,” “peace of mind,” “financial expenses,” and “enormous amount of money.” These phrases communicate the main ideas clearly, and you attempt some less common expressions. At times, however, word choice or collocation is imprecise or repetitive: “rental residency” is not a natural way to describe a rented home, “hard times” is informal, and “huge” is repeated in the discussion of taxes and financial strain. “Personal property gives identity” is also unclear in this context. Aim for more precise housing and finance vocabulary, and check whether phrases sound natural in context. This would add flexibility and accuracy without changing your clear overall meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses and contrast structures: “because it gives a sense of security” and “despite some of the drawbacks.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not prevent the reader from following your argument. Some grammatical choices are less controlled, however. In “Families with their own residences save a lot of money for keeping that amount,” the purpose construction is awkward and the reference to “that amount” is unclear. “Owning a house is definitely a positive situation … because it's their own property” shifts from a singular subject to a plural pronoun. Review pronoun agreement and sentence construction, and vary complex structures while checking each sentence for clear grammatical relationships.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.