Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-02

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 7.5)

Owning your home is a very big accomplishment in most countries. A lot of people get by renting and constantly moving or upgrading whenever their income allows them to do so. However, some cultures highlight the importance of owning your home outright, of putting down roots within the community. This can either be crippling or comforting to the new generations currently setting out to build their lives.

Firstly, buying a house nowadays is not as easy as it used to be. Estates are much more expensive, options are limited and communities are saturated. However, owning a home provides a sense of stability and safety that is difficult to achieve when you rent. For instance, there is no surprise increases in rent, no annoying landlords and no restrictions on how to decorate your space.

Additionally, when you live somewhere for an extended period of time, you become part of the community. Cultures that favor possessing their residencies live in an integrated society where everyone benefits socially. Areas filled with homeowners tend to have a good library, a social club, well protected kids park but to name a few. Homeowners association protects these establishments. Your kids grow up with the neighbors' and the community thrives. This is the crux of the matter to traditionalists who want younger generations to aim for owning their homes.

However, western cultures specifically have conceded that this may not be as easy nowadays. Not all younger generations are able to afford housing and renting provides a solution to a larger problem; lack of appropriate homes. If you rent, you are able to upgrade once your family increases in size or you can downgrade if your income has changed. Flexibility that is not available once you commit to a place and buy it.

Overall, buying a house to live in is a huge decision that has to be made with caution and a lot of thought put into it. Your family would like you to set down roots that your kids and grandkids are a part of the same community, exactly like how they raised their own family. It is certainly a noble reason, but current economic status needs to be taken into consideration as well. Deciding what is best for you might not be what your culture easily concedes to or appreciates but it is still your own decision, for you and your future family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring reasons for the importance of homeownership and providing a balanced view on whether it is a positive or negative situation. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the discussion on stability and community integration versus the flexibility of renting. However, the argument could be strengthened by more explicit links between the cultural importance mentioned in the introduction and the subsequent analysis. The position is clear throughout, though the conclusion could be more decisive in synthesising the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the reasons for homeownership, the benefits of community, and the counter-argument regarding flexibility. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'However' are used to guide the reader. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. Referencing is generally clear, and the structure supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey ideas with some precision. Phrases like 'putting down roots', 'crux of the matter', and 'integrated society' demonstrate a good range. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'well protected kids park' (should be 'well-protected children's parks') and 'conceded that this may not be as easy' (where 'acknowledged' might be more appropriate). Despite these minor slips, the range is adequate for the task and the meaning is always clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over grammar, though some errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement ('there is no surprise increases' should be 'there are no surprise increases') and pluralisation ('the neighbors'' should be 'the neighbors'). Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences could benefit from more varied structure to enhance the flow. The errors present do not impede communication and the majority of the text is error-free.

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