Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-12

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 several countries having own house instead of borrowing is very crucial for individulas. In my opinion, it is a negative condition as it has many financial impacts on the residents.

On one hand, In this fast-paced world having own place for living is very crucial. In many under developed countries the ratio of unemployed people is high and mostly people work and earn of daily wages. Due to this reason people live from hand to mouth. It becomes a hard task for them to buy a piece of land and built a home for themselves. Hence people prefer to live in rented houses to cope with the problems they face for the sake of their own home. Also it reduces the stress level of middle class people.

Additonally, with the advancements most of the companies have become digitized which reduces the need for workers and results in the unemployment among the young people. Due to which they can not afford to buy home to make a healthy and peaceful living there. Hence, individuals in many countries of the world prefer to live in borrowed homes and even in apartments that provide them affordable place to live.

On the other hand, having own place for living is aone time investment it also provides many other benefits. People can build and decorate their home according to their own budgets. Individuals can also get profit by selling their homes and buy a new one according to their needs. It also reduces the pressure of paying the rent to their owner.

In my opinion, living in a rented house is a good option as it reduces the cost of living for many people. But having own home is also beneficial in many aspects as many people take it as a business they buy and sell homes and earn a handsome amount.

To conclude, living in a borrowed and own home are two different aspects and people choose to make living according to their financial needs.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

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 inconsistent. While you provide reasons for renting and owning, the argument regarding whether it is a 'positive or negative situation' is slightly muddled. You initially state it is negative due to financial impacts, but later acknowledge the benefits of ownership, leading to a conclusion that lacks a clear, decisive stance. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout the essay and that each paragraph directly supports your main thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'Additionally', and 'To conclude'. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is generally clear, but the link between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is mostly clear, though some sentences are slightly disjointed. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fast-paced', 'digitized', and 'financial impacts'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'borrowing' instead of 'renting' and 'borrowed homes' instead of 'rented accommodation'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'individulas' and 'Additonally'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary is used in the correct context. Expanding your range to include more academic or topic-specific synonyms would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('having own house', 'buy home'), subject-verb agreement issues, and awkward phrasing ('aone time investment'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some errors in sentence boundaries. To improve, pay closer attention to article usage and ensure that complex sentences are constructed accurately. Reviewing basic grammar rules regarding countability and verb forms will help reduce the frequency of these errors.

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

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