Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10
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 5.5)
Most people own houses, but the rest rent. There was an ongoing debate over whether owning a home is better than renting. While this essay argues that owning houses are better than renting. Because House is an asset that can generate income for individuals, and flexible plans can be applied if one has their own house.
Owning an house is an asset which an generate income for individuals for better living conditions. Rich people buy assets like houses so they can rent to other people who do not own one. According to Robert the author of the book "rich dad and poor dad". poor people buy liability like phones, cars and branded clothes which will make them even poor. While the rich people buy assets like land and houses to generate more money. So, owning house is superior option compared to rented ones.
Moreover, Owning an house means more flexibility. It is in the hand of the house owner whether to extend the room or shrink it. For example John owns an house in Perth, Australia he has flexibility whether to put Hotels or Shops based on the economic demand which will greatly contribute to Johns weekly income. That clearly states that owning a house is better than rented ones.
In conclusion, owning a house is a better option than renting one because house is a type of asset which can greatly contribute to individuals income. Furthermore, owning a house means more flexibility for future planning depending on societal demand.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for the importance of home ownership and an opinion on whether this is positive or negative. However, the development is somewhat limited. The argument relies heavily on a single concept—financial investment—which is repeated throughout the essay. The discussion of 'flexibility' is also quite narrow, focusing on commercial use rather than personal stability or social benefits. While a position is clear, the ideas are not fully extended or explored in depth, leading to a repetitive structure that lacks the nuance expected at higher bands.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover' and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by simplistic sentence structures. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. To improve, you should aim for a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is significant repetition of basic terms like 'house', 'owning', and 'renting'. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'asset', 'liability', and 'economic demand', these are used in a somewhat simplistic context. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'make them even poor' instead of 'poorer'. To improve, focus on using synonyms and more sophisticated collocations to express your ideas with greater precision.
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 'Owning an house' (article error), 'Owning houses are better' (subject-verb agreement), and 'John owns an house in Perth, Australia he has flexibility' (run-on sentence). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy in basic grammar is essential for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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