Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-31
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 some countries it is commonly believed that owning a house is more beneficial rather than renting for people. From my perspective, I completely consider that is a positive development.
One prominent reason of why owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people is rented home is temporary while homeownership is permanent for owner's as a result they can live a quality life in their own house without compromising. In contrast, in a rented house people have to pay monthly or annually and have to maintain rules and regulations according to the houseowner. As a result, they may suffer from inequalities and there is a high chance to be dependent to others. For instance, people who have their own house they can decorate according to their taste or they do not face any command from another.
Owning a house is beneficial because people can sell this asset whenever there is financial need whereas in rented house residents have to pay even in worse situation. As a result, living in a rented house brings uncertainties and anytime authorities can interrupt the tenant or may push them to leave anytime. furthermore, tenant have to follow given rules from houseowner which is quite challenging. For example, people who is plant lover and they love to decorated their home cannot do those things in a rented house.
In conclusion, renting or buying house really depends on the situation of people's financial ability but particularly renting a home comes with distinct financial limitations and frustrations compared to owning property.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: explaining why homeownership is important and providing an opinion on whether this is positive or negative. The ideas are relevant, focusing on stability, financial investment, and personal autonomy. However, the development is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the constraints of renting. While the position is clear, the arguments could be more nuanced to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on 'inequalities' is vague and lacks specific context. To improve, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than restating similar ideas about landlord restrictions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast', 'For instance', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by grammatical errors. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'there is a high chance to be dependent to others', where the connection to the previous point is slightly strained. Improving the variety of cohesive links and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'asset', 'tenant', and 'homeownership'. However, there are instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'face any command from another' and 'worse situation' (should be 'worst-case scenario'). The range is somewhat limited, and the repetition of basic terms like 'house' and 'renting' suggests a need for more varied synonyms and more precise academic phrasing to demonstrate a higher level of lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people who is plant lover', 'tenant have to follow'), article usage, and pluralization (e.g., 'owner's' instead of 'owners'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic grammatical rules such as pluralization and subject-verb agreement before attempting more complex sentence structures. Proofreading for these common slips would significantly improve the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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