Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-13

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)

As far as this topic is concerned, owning a home is considered very important in some countries. There are several reasons for this preference, and I believe that this is generally a positive situation.

Firstly, owning a home provides people with financial security and stability. When people have their own house, they do not have to worry about increasing rent or losing their accommodation. Moreover, a house can be considered a valuable investment because its price may increase over time. For example, homeowners can sell their property in the future and use the money for their children's education or retirement.

Secondly, owning a home can provide emotional and social benefits. People usually feel more comfortable and secure in a house that belongs to them. They can also decorate or renovate it according to their preferences without asking a landlord for permission. Furthermore, having a permanent home can provide a stable environment for children and families.

However, buying a home can be expensive and may require people to take large loans. This can create financial pressure, particularly for young people. Nevertheless, if people can manage their finances properly, home ownership can provide long-term benefits.

In conclusion, people prefer to own homes because it provides financial security, stability and freedom. Although purchasing a house can be expensive, I believe that home ownership is generally a positive development for individuals and families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task, explaining why home ownership is important and giving a clear personal opinion that it is a positive situation. Ideas such as financial security, emotional stability, and investment potential are presented and supported with examples like using money for retirement or children's education. A counterargument regarding loans and financial pressure is also acknowledged. However, the response has a significant drawback regarding length: it contains 229 words, which fails to meet the minimum requirement of 250 words. In accordance with IELTS marking guidelines, this under-length constraint must be penalised under Task Achievement, bringing the score down to a 5.5 despite the otherwise relevant and well-structured content.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear overall structure with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: introduction, reasons for ownership (financial), reasons for ownership (emotional/social), counterargument, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively. Referencing is clear throughout, as seen with phrases like 'owning a home provides people with financial security and stability' followed by 'When people have their own house...'. The organisation is coherent and well-managed, earning a solid Band 7.0 for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'financial security', 'valuable investment', 'renovate', and 'long-term benefits'. There are also successful attempts at less common lexical items, although some expressions border on repetitive, such as 'owning a home' and 'provide'. Word choice and spelling are generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication at all. The lexical range demonstrates flexibility and precision sufficient for a Band 6.5, although it lacks the wider, more sophisticated control required to reach a Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional forms such as 'if people can manage their finances properly' and relative clauses like 'a house that belongs to them'. Grammatical accuracy is quite high; the majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There are no noticeable systemic errors that cause difficulty for the reader. The control of grammar aligns well with the Band 7.0 descriptor, which highlights a variety of complex structures with frequent error-free sentences and good overall control.

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