Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Owning a home is very important for people rather than renting one in some of the countries of the world. It is due to the high rents which they have to pay at the start of the month. And they do not feel secure in rented places because owners can take their place back from them at any time. At first, people who are living in rented residence have to pay rent every month. And rents are very high in some countries and most of the citizens are doing jobs to meet their needs. In this case, a big part of their salaries went in paying rents. Furthermore, it is difficult for them to manage all the expenses in a rented accomodation. For example, most of the people of Pakistan are doing jobs to fulfill their needs and most of them are living in rented places. They are facing a lot of hardships just to survive. Moreover, many rented resdidents do not feel secure in rented accomodations as that residential is not their own. Owners can pull them out anytime they want. And if owners do so they have to found new place to live. However, they have to shift their all the things and basic material again to a new place. This is why they want to own homes as if they have their own homes their lot of money could be saved. No one dares to pull them out from their own homes. This is why owning a home is important for people. In conclusion, I think that if people are willing to own a home in this scenario it is a negative situation as their government failed to maintain rents at a considerable price. While, it is positive for them if they own a home.

AI examiner evaluation

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 reasons provided—high rent and lack of security—are relevant but could be expanded with more sophisticated analysis. The opinion in the conclusion is slightly contradictory and underdeveloped; you state it is a 'negative situation' because of government failure, but then suggest it is 'positive for them' if they own a home, without clearly reconciling these two perspectives. To reach a higher band, ensure your position is consistent and fully explored throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'At first,' 'Furthermore,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion.' However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences can be repetitive. For instance, the frequent use of 'And' at the beginning of sentences disrupts the natural flow. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'that residential is not their own,' which lacks a precise antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'rented residence,' 'expenses,' and 'accommodations.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'rented residents' (instead of 'tenants') and 'pull them out' (instead of 'evict'). There are also minor spelling errors like 'accomodation' (accommodation) and 'resdidents' (residents). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary rather than relying on informal or slightly inaccurate phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles, verb tenses, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'most of the people of Pakistan are doing jobs,' 'they have to found new place'). Some sentences are also grammatically incomplete or awkward, such as 'if owners do so they have to found new place to live.' To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips that occur throughout the text.

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

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