Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-16

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)

Home is an integral part of life in this modern society. People believe that having their own home is necessary instead of renting one, in few countries. From my perspective, it's a positive thought because of few main reasons that i will write in this essay.

The very first reason why the people are more into buying home is because they want investment. Homeowners tend to have more control and stable in their life than others. The other reason is they want freedom and independent without the pressure of landlords. For instance, in some societies, renting a home may be viewed negatively by relatives and society. Furthermore, renting one can put people under financial pressure, particularly when they struggle to pay high rents.

Therefore, Owning home gives sense of belonging. Homeowners have greater stability and control over their living environment. Moreover, they don't have any financial issue. So, they look more confidents in society. I strongly believe that this is a positive situation.

To conclude, buying a home has more advantages than renting one. Not only it gives sense of security, but also gives full control on their lifestyle. It's actually a great way of having a long-term investment.

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 199 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments remain superficial and lack sufficient supporting evidence or examples. While the essay addresses both parts of the prompt—explaining why home ownership is important and expressing an opinion—the lack of depth means the response is underdeveloped. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples, personal experiences, or broader societal analysis to ensure a more comprehensive discussion that meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'The very first reason', 'The other reason', 'Furthermore', 'Moreover'). The progression of ideas is logical, but the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. Additionally, some sentences are quite short and choppy, which limits the overall cohesion. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that ideas are connected more fluidly would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'more into buying home' and 'look more confidents' are either informal or grammatically incorrect. There is little attempt to use less common or more precise lexical items. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more academic collocations and varied vocabulary related to housing, finance, and social status. For example, instead of 'buying home', use 'property acquisition' or 'home ownership', and replace 'great way' with more descriptive adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'having their own home is necessary instead of renting one, in few countries' (awkward phrasing), 'they want freedom and independent' (incorrect word form), and 'Owning home gives sense of belonging' (missing articles). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and detract from the overall quality. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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