Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-06

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 5.5)

Owning a house is one of the most important thing is some people's life, and having your own house is very benificial in some countries. Living in a rented house can come with many disadvantages so it is a better option to own a house.

Living in a house which you own has many benifits as compared to the rented house. For example, in rented house you are not the owner so you cannot do whatever you want, there will be some ground rules set by the owner. Whereas in your own house your are the landlord, you can make rules. Moreover, in a rented place your actions will be also restricted which is not the case in your own house.

Moreover, people with an unbalanced job can face major problems living in a rented house. For instance, if you could not pay the rent on time you can get scolded by the landlord and he can even kick you out of the house if you are too late on the rent. Which is not the case when living in your own house. Owning a house is like having a freedon, you can do whatever you want until and unless it's legal and not bothering others.

In my opinion, having your own house is a positive thing. It can protect you from getting homeless if you are late on rent, it provides you the freedom to come and go whenever you want. I know it is not possible for everyone to buy their own house, specially when you move to another city for a job, but it is important to buy a house as soon as possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear view that owning a home is positive and offer relevant reasons, including greater control over the property and protection from being evicted for late rent. These examples address both why ownership matters and whether it is beneficial. However, the explanation of why this is especially important in some countries is not developed: the response focuses on general advantages of ownership rather than country-specific factors such as housing security, cultural expectations, or property as an investment. Some points also need fuller support; for example, “an unbalanced job” is unclear, and the final recommendation to buy “as soon as possible” is not qualified by affordability. Develop the reasons more precisely and explain their wider significance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, paragraphs giving reasons, and a conclusion that restates your positive position. Ideas generally progress from control over a home to security from rent-related problems. Linking expressions such as “For example,” “Moreover,” and “In my opinion” help signal these stages. However, “Moreover” is repeated to introduce separate points, making the connections somewhat mechanical, and the relationship between some sentences is not always clear. For instance, “Which is not the case when living in your own house” is a fragment that interrupts the flow after the rent example. Use a wider range of natural transitions and connect each example explicitly to the main point of its paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “rented house,” “landlord,” “ground rules,” and “homeless.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “own house” and “whatever you want.” Some choices are inaccurate or unclear: “unbalanced job” does not convey a clear meaning, and “scolded” is not the most suitable description of a landlord’s response to late payment. Spelling errors such as “benificial,” “benifits,” and “freedon” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise housing vocabulary and check spelling carefully; this will make your explanations clearer and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional in “if you could not pay the rent on time” and a contrast introduced by “Whereas.” The main message remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, pronouns, and sentence boundaries occur. For example, “one of the most important thing” needs a plural noun, “your are the landlord” has an incorrect verb form, and “in rented house” is missing an article. The sentence beginning “Which is not the case” is a fragment, while “until and unless” creates an awkward construction. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and articles, and combine fragments with the sentence they refer to. More accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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.