Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-10

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 5.0)

It is significant for individuals to purchase a house instead of renting one, because if you pay in installments each month, it will continue for the whole year, but if you save some money and buy it, then you can save on the installments.

On the one hand, paying in installments can not get a house, because it will continue until you leave that home, but if you pay the whole amount at once, then you are not required to pay. For instance, my brother's salary is 50000, and he pays 10000 each month, and he has been paying for 6 months, and the house's actual price is 50000, but if he had thought about buying this home at first, now he might be the owner of this house. As a result, sometimes it is better to buy instead of paying the rent.

On the other hand, some people can not afford such a large amount; for example, lower-rank employees do not have such funds to pay for the entire house, so it is better just to rent.

Overall, I believe that buying a house is good if you have a large amount of money because you will not have to pay the installments each month. You will be the boss of you own home. While, if we see the other side, if some can not buy it, then it is good to pay the monthly installment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address both questions by suggesting that people value ownership because it avoids ongoing rent payments, and by saying buying is positive when someone can afford it. However, the explanation of why home ownership is important in some countries is narrow, and the response does not develop broader reasons such as security, investment, or cultural expectations. The example about your brother is difficult to follow: the figures given do not clearly explain how his payments relate to the house price or why buying would have been possible. Your view is present, but the final contrast between buying and renting leaves the overall judgement somewhat qualified rather than fully explained. The response is also 13 words below the required minimum. Develop the reasons and support your position with a clearer, more relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, two body paragraphs signalled by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a concluding paragraph. This helps the reader identify the main stages of your argument. However, progression within the first body paragraph is difficult to follow: the discussion moves from paying in installments to paying the full amount, then to your brother’s situation, without clearly connecting the example to the claim. Some linking phrases are also used mechanically, and “Overall” followed by “While” creates an awkward final contrast. Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main point, and make the relationship between each example and claim explicit. This would make the organisation clearer and reduce the need for repeated contrast markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic topic, using relevant terms such as “purchase,” “renting,” “salary,” “owner,” and “afford.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are repeated, particularly “pay,” “house,” and “installments.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural in context: “paying in installments can not get a house” does not clearly express your intended meaning, while “lower-rank employees” is not a natural description of people with limited income. “The boss of you own home” also appears to mean that the owner has control or independence, but the phrasing is unclear. Build a more precise set of topic-related expressions, such as “monthly rent,” “mortgage payments,” “financial security,” and “property ownership,” and check that each phrase fits its context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and longer clauses, including conditional forms such as “if you save some money and buy it” and “if he had thought about buying this home at first.” These attempts show some variety, and the main message is generally understandable. However, several sentence structures are awkward or incomplete in their logic, for example, “paying in installments can not get a house,” and the long sentence about your brother joins many ideas with repeated “and.” There are also errors in possessives and sentence punctuation, as in “you own home” and “While, if some can not buy it.” Practise separating long sentences and checking clause structure, verb forms, and punctuation. More controlled complex sentences would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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.