Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30

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)

Nowadays, in many nations, buying a house and owning it is a significant and crucial for people rather than renting one. The actual reason behind it is the unaffordable amount of money they have to pay. Also for the students and for immigrants, paying rent could be a significantly difficult task.

Higher prices of the rent is one of the biggest and leading concern when it comes to housing sector. large proportion of population cannot afford such expensive rents, due to there tight budgets, other expenses for living, requirements of family, etc. As a result, people prefer to buy a house which falls under there budget, or with the help of loans which are offered by banks at lower interest rates, making it accountable for citizens.

This could lead to several significant consequences in longer run, as it creates various challenges for individual who cannot afford to buy a new house and rents, eventually creating a situation of crises for them. Furthermore, the decreased employment rates, overpriced essential supplies, inflation, are significantly contributing to make scenario even worse. Moreover when we talk about real life examples, such as, a person with a low paying job, who earns just enough to fulfill his basic needs and for his family, finds it very difficult to save money and pay rents to tenet every month.

Therefore, it can be concluded that, higher and unaffordable prices of rent are not at all helpful in creating a positive impact for the citizens of ant nation, as living and shelter fall under the basic needs. So, government should introduce specific laws and regulations to address this issue, by creating it more affordable, and accountable alternative.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why home ownership is important and whether this is positive or negative. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you identify financial pressure as a reason, the discussion on whether this is a positive or negative situation is underdeveloped. You argue that high rent is negative, but you do not fully explore the potential positive aspects of home ownership (such as stability or investment) or the negative implications of being tied to a mortgage. The position is clear, but the arguments lack depth and specific supporting evidence, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing. For example, the transition between the discussion of rent prices and the conclusion is a bit abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure could benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the flow of arguments and ensure a more cohesive reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'housing sector', 'inflation', and 'interest rates', but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'making it accountable for citizens' is an incorrect use of 'accountable', and 'tenet' is used instead of 'landlord'. Additionally, there is some repetition of basic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing and to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement, incorrect article usage, and misuse of pronouns (e.g., 'there tight budgets' instead of 'their'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often marred by these errors. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your complex sentence structures are error-free.

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

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