Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-21
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)
Many countries prefer to own a home rather than live in rented rooms and houses it is very crucial for individuals. While the urge to own property provides financial safety and independence. I believe this situation is mostly positive, despite the burden of long-term loan commitments.
On the one hand, numerous people think that owning a home provides privacy and personal space. This is because people feel freedom in their home. They can decorate their home according to favourite wall colour and furniture. In addition people live in their home without any problem, sometimes individuals suffer from mental stress because they are paying rent every week. As a result, if people have a home they can live without any burden. To illustrate, a large number of people cannot pay rent because they do not have sufficient money to handle their living expenses. Consequently, they run far away without paying rent.
On the other hand, numerous people cannot afford a private house. The main reason for this is that they are not able to pay long term bank loans, since they are not financial capable to pay monthly EMI. As a consequence, they can face a lot of problems. For instance, If people can afford a new house they can purchase it, but some people are not financial stable, therefore they should not a buy new house.
To conclude, owning a house has significant benefits such as privacy and personal space. However, if people do not have sufficient money to buy a new house they can suffer from mental stress and depression because they are not able to pay loan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why home ownership is important and whether it is a positive or negative situation. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention privacy and financial independence, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the point about people 'running far away' to avoid rent is not a well-supported or logical argument for the importance of home ownership. To improve, ensure that each paragraph provides a clear, logical progression of ideas rather than repeating the same points about mental stress or financial burden. Your position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs to be more sophisticated and relevant to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition' are used, but the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of home ownership and the financial risks is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences lack clear logical links, such as the jump from decorating a home to the mental stress of paying rent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms such as 'good', 'bad', 'problems', and 'money'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'financial capable' (should be 'financially capable') and 'financial stable' (should be 'financially stable'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to housing, economics, and personal finance, and ensure that you use the correct word forms (adverbs vs. adjectives) consistently throughout your response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Common issues include subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and incorrect word forms (e.g., 'they should not a buy new house'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage in complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and attempting more varied, error-free complex structures will significantly improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.