Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-20

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 recent years, citizens are prioritising having their own house instead of renting. With the rise in inflation and decrease in quality of life people are more attracted towards the idea of having their own space.

During the era where everything is getting more expensive having your own place is beneficial. Having your own space means you have a place to prioritize your hobbies like gardening and rearing pets. Nowadays, people love to buy and consume organic produce and haviing a place with sufficient space means you can grow your own food. Also, people with interest in music and musical instruments can delve in their hobbies without disturbing other people.

While there are various drawbacks to renting. The landlord may impose various rules with which you have to comply. And since the space doesn't belong to you, you cannot modify it to your liking. Likewise, there might not be enough outdoor space available for indulging in hobies like gardening. Especially if it's an apartment building where people from different types of occupational backgrounds live.

Furthermore, in apartments where the walls are thin people may not be able to indulge in their hobbies like music and use of musical instruments since it might disturb other people. If something goes wrong the maintenance may also take weeks while having your own house means you get to hav the services at your own time.

Individuals who have a demanding background and those that want to indulge in their own hobbies will always want to have a place of their own. While renting may have it's own benefits I think having a place to yourself that you can decorate to your own liking is a positive thing.

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 repetitive. The focus remains heavily on the ability to pursue hobbies (gardening, pets, music) as the primary reason for ownership, which limits the depth of the argument. While the position is clear, the discussion could be strengthened by exploring broader economic or social factors, such as financial security or long-term investment, rather than focusing almost exclusively on lifestyle preferences. The ideas are relevant but could be more fully extended to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'Likewise', and 'While', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of some paragraphs is slightly disjointed. For instance, the transition between the benefits of owning a home and the drawbacks of renting could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be more tightly integrated to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'prioritising', 'occupational backgrounds', and 'indulging', which are used appropriately. However, there are occasional spelling errors, such as 'haviing' and 'hobies', and some minor collocation issues. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to discuss the topic, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. Expanding the range of synonyms and collocations related to housing and economics would 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 several grammatical errors, such as 'it's' used instead of 'its' in the final paragraph, and some punctuation issues, particularly with sentence fragments like 'While there are various drawbacks to renting.' These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, and more attention to proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and punctuation would improve the overall quality of the writing.

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

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