Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04
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 people feel that owning their home is very important rather than living on rent .
To begin with i feel this is a positive situation because people in my country also like to own their home and not to live on rent . Owning home is not just a responsibility but also provides you with some relief that you do not need to take tension every month to pay your rent and feel burdened by that . You can simply focus on other things and continue to live comfortable life in your house that you own. People can also add furniture they like change things according to them to give house their touch without thinking about the owner , they can also buy pet if they like because if they own a home they do not need to face any rules from anyone .
On the other hand, people believe renting a home is a good choice because they are not ready for the responsibility of owning a home. Owning a home does not come with comfort; you need to take care of everything yourself, but if you rent a house, you just need to pay rent and follow the owner's rules; there is no personal responsibility. for example - people in japan only get married when they buy a house so for them it is a big deal to own a house before other responsibilities.
In conclusion i would like to conclude by saying that it is a very personal choice that you want to own a house or rent one because both needs different financial conditions, different responsiblities.
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: reasons for the importance of home ownership and an opinion on whether this is positive or negative. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you provide reasons such as financial relief and personal freedom, the arguments lack depth and specific supporting evidence. The example regarding Japan is a bit tangential and does not clearly link back to the core argument about the 'positive or negative' nature of the situation. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and more detailed explanation or examples to fully explore the implications of your position.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and sometimes repetitive. For instance, you rely heavily on simple connectors like 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within sentences and between paragraphs. Additionally, the conclusion is very brief and does not effectively summarise the main points or restate your position clearly. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring each paragraph flows logically into the next would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use common phrases like 'take tension' (which is non-standard) and 'comfortable life'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'face any rules from anyone'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to housing, finance, and social trends, and focus on using collocations more accurately to express your ideas with greater sophistication.
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 distract the reader. Examples include 'living on rent' (should be 'renting'), 'Owning home' (missing article 'a'), and 'both needs different financial conditions' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of spaces before commas and hyphens. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and consistent punctuation will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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