Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-11

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 6.5)

In some parts of the world, people give more importance to owning their own house than renting. This essay will discuss the reasons for this and argue that it is a mostly positive situation.

The first reason is security and stability. A rented house is temporary, the landlord can increase the rent or ask the people to leave at any time. But if a person owns a house, he feels secure and can live there for his whole life. In countries like Pakistan, having your own house is considered very important for marriage and for raising children.

The second reason is financial investment. Property is seen as a good long-term investment because its value increases over time. People think that instead of paying rent every month, it is better to pay for their own house which will become their own. Also, in many cultures, owning a home is a status symbol and shows that a person is successful and settled. I think this is a positive situation to a large extent. When people own a home, they become more responsible and connected to their community. They maintain their house and neighborhood better.

Furthermore, it gives them financial security for old age. They do not need to worry about rent after retirement and they can leave the property for their children.

However, there are some negative points as well. Buying a house requires a huge amount of money, so many people take loans for 20 or 30 years. This creates financial stress and limits their ability to spend money on other things like education or travel. It also makes people less flexible to move to another city for a better job.

To conclude, people prefer to own a home because of the security, investment value and social status it provides. Although it can cause financial burden, I believe the benefits of owning a home overcome the drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the importance of home ownership and expressing a balanced opinion. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and well-supported, particularly the points regarding financial security and social status. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the 'negative' side of the argument with more specific examples or deeper analysis, as the current discussion on financial stress is slightly brief compared to the benefits. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as security, investment, or the drawbacks of ownership. You use cohesive devices like 'The first reason,' 'The second reason,' and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical. To improve, try using more sophisticated linking phrases or varying your sentence structure to improve the flow between ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately, which helps the reader follow your argument easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'long-term investment,' 'status symbol,' and 'financial burden' are used correctly and effectively. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices could be more nuanced. For instance, instead of 'huge amount of money,' you could use 'substantial capital.' The vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for an academic context, with no spelling errors that impede communication. Expanding your range of collocations would help elevate your score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'ask the people to leave' (which could be more naturally phrased as 'evict tenants') and 'the benefits... overcome the drawbacks' (where 'outweigh' would be more precise). However, these errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining your current level of accuracy.

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.