Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25

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 many countries citizens are prefers to buy their own home instead of accommodated in rental houses. I think this is a positive view by this people gets free from monthly rental worries. Consequently, people save this money for their futures. Some of them invest their money in different businesses.

Firstly, every people having different opinions, but mostly in some countries people prefers to owning home rather than renting one. Although they consider one time investment is more beneficial than spending on the same thing every month. For instance, In Pakistan mostly families have their own homes even their houses consist of two bedrooms. They likes to invest their saving in that places where monthly income will generates.

Secondly, people usually not get homes in rent because of financial pressure and limited resources. They already burdenize from other responsibilities like family, bills and taxes. Majority of people in different countries belong to middle class. They already lives by hand to mouth. If they include other expense like rent it makes their life more difficult. So, mostly people buy their own home even it is smell. For example, a person already difficulties to pay fees, medication, with his fifty thousand salary and if he add one more expense like rent than it is hard for him to manage everything.

In conclusion, it is positive point people having their own home rather than renting one. It helps them to keep their money save and use it when they need or invest their money in some where.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for home ownership and the opinion on whether it is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention financial stability and the avoidance of rental costs, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the explanation of 'middle class' struggles is relevant but could be better supported with more sophisticated reasoning. The position is clear, but the supporting examples, such as the mention of Pakistan, are brief and could be more effectively integrated to strengthen your argument. To improve, aim to expand on the long-term socio-economic implications of home ownership rather than focusing primarily on immediate financial stress.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal the progression of your argument. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors. For example, the transition between discussing financial pressure and the example of a person's salary is a bit abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one, creating a smoother 'thread' of thought throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'money', 'people', and 'home'. There are also some non-standard word choices and awkward collocations, such as 'burdenize' (which is not a standard English word) and 'smell' (likely a typo for 'small'). Phrases like 'lives by hand to mouth' are used correctly, which is a positive sign. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to finance and housing, such as 'financial security', 'property investment', or 'long-term asset'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'citizens are prefers', 'they likes', 'income will generates') and incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'accommodated in rental houses' instead of 'accommodating' or 'living in'). While you attempt some complex sentence structures, they are often marred by these errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your verb tenses are consistent. Proofreading for these fundamental errors will significantly improve the readability and accuracy of your writing.

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

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