Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-14

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, owning a home is considered more significant than renting one. This is mainly because home ownership provides greater independence from landlords, and I believe this is a positive development.

One of the major reasons is that people can live independently in their personal homes. Nowadays, individuals tend to become independent in every sector, such as education, employment and many others. In the case of owning a personal home people are becoming even more conscious, as they want to decorate their accommodations with their own taste. They cannot get the opportunity of adoring rental homes by their own because they always have to take permission from landlords. For example, if they want to paint their houses in a different way, it is necessary to take permission of an owner to do so. Consequently, this problem primarily lead residents to have their own homes rather than renting one.

I believe this is a positive development due to a large number of benefits related to it. One of the major benefits is that it not only gives an ownership but also provides economic stability. Living in a renting home often causes people to pay house rents every month, which leads them to exclude a large portion of their salaries for rents. Having personal homes may provide individuals to save their incomes for the future use. For example, money used to pay tenancy can set aside and might need to be used in the difficult circumstances, such as for expensive medical treatments or home renovation.

In conclusion, although people may prefer to buy a personal home to live independently, it also leads to several advantages like money savings for the future crisis.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by explaining why home ownership is important and clearly stating a position that this is a positive development. In the body paragraphs, the writer provides relevant ideas, such as independence in decorating and financial stability, and supports them with explanations and examples, like painting a house or saving money for medical treatments. However, some arguments tend to be slightly repetitive and could be extended further with deeper analysis to reach higher bands. Nevertheless, the position is clear throughout, and all prompts in the question are successfully covered. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences, such as 'consequently,' 'one of the major benefits,' and 'in conclusion.' However, some cohesion feels a bit mechanical or slightly repetitive, and referencing is not always completely smooth, such as the awkward transition in 'In the case of owning a personal home people are becoming even more conscious.' Overall, the logical progression is generally maintained throughout the text, satisfying the criteria for Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'independence,' 'economic stability,' and 'tenancy.' However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing throughout the text. Examples include 'personal homes' instead of 'private homes' or 'their own homes,' 'adoring rental homes' instead of 'decorating rental homes,' and 'money savings for the future crisis.' While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher band levels. This fits the description for Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional clauses ('if they want to paint their houses') and relative clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, such as 'this problem primarily lead residents' (subject-verb agreement error), 'in a renting home' (incorrect adjective form for rented), and 'may provide individuals to save' (incorrect verb complementation). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear. The control of grammar and sentence structures is indicative of a solid Band 6 performance.

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

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