Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-04

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)

In some countries purchasing own home is very important as compared to renting a house. There are several reasons behind this trend, and I believe it is a negative situation. In this essay, I will discuss the main reasons and tell why it is harmful.

On one hand, people are really passionate to buy their own house. They do not want to spend their life in packing and shifting houses or places. They prefer one place to be called their home. They usually hate to discuss for this and that with the landlord. They eager to design their homes according to their taste. These kind of people usually prefer to spend their whole life in one place with there dear ones.

On the other hand, I look at this trend as a negative because in the world not every one is able to afford their own house. This led them to have a stressful life which impact their health and mind badly. Renting a house or is far more easier and affordable than owning one. People do not need to invest too much money and money in buying or building it.. Instead of this they can use that money in education, business and good life style. A person who lives in a rented house can easily relocate to another place with no big loss and worroies. In conclusion, people prefer to own a house because they do not like to relocate time to time unwantedly. They dislike to ask for things to landlord. Overall, I believed that this mindset brings negative impacts to individuals health because of not owning house yet, renting properties and society.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for the importance of home ownership and the writer's opinion on whether this is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the reasons for wanting to own a home (stability, autonomy) are clear, the argument regarding why this is a 'negative' situation is less convincing and lacks depth. The conclusion is slightly confusing, as it mentions 'not owning house yet' and 'renting properties' in a way that contradicts the earlier stance. To reach a higher band, the arguments need to be more fully extended with specific examples or logical consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On one hand' and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Instead of this they can use that money'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, particularly in the conclusion where the summary of the argument becomes muddled. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher level of cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of repetitive or imprecise word choices, such as 'discuss for this and that' and 'money and money'. Some collocations are unnatural, such as 'impact their health and mind badly'. While the meaning is clear throughout, the student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles to incorporate more sophisticated or academic terminology effectively. Improving word choice and collocation accuracy is essential for progress.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'purchasing own home' (missing article), 'These kind of people' (subject-verb agreement), 'They eager to' (missing verb), and 'relocate time to time' (missing preposition). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences having double periods or missing commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage is recommended.

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

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