Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18
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 today's digital age, cost of everything is increasing day by day because of technological advancement and it is very difficult to build a accomadation, therefore people prefer to live in appartments.In some nations, many people believe that having a own house is more advantageous than renting one. I believe that it is a positive development because it gives you a satisfication and allow to decorate house according to your taste. In this essay, I will explain some benefits relating to owning a home.
On the one hand, I believe the benefits are more significants. Firstly, living in own house is cost free, there is no tension to pay rent. Secondly, living in own house give you a chance to design their house according to your interest. For instance, you can choose colours for your house's walls and if you have hobby of gardening then you can use small portion of house as a garden and plant various types of flowers and vegetables. Furthermore, home has a large space as compared to the rented appartment and you can feel fresh air everytime.
On the other hand, some people prefer to live in a rented appartment. Firstly, it is hard to build own house because it is cost effective . For instance, if someone want to construct their own house then it need materials such as cement, sand and bricks that are really difficult to buy for a poor individuals. Secondly, some people prefer to live in a small rented house.
In conclusion, Although having a own house is cost effective but I believe that it is a positive development because it is driven by emotional stability and long-term financial security. It gives people a sense of pride and control over their living space.
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 all parts of the task, examining why homeownership is important and whether this trend is positive or negative. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are presented and supported, such as emotional stability, personal design freedom, and financial security. However, some arguments remain somewhat basic and repetitive, such as the discussion around construction costs. Furthermore, the introduction contains a slightly contradictory start mentioning that cost is increasing due to technological advancement, which is only tangentially related to housing. Nevertheless, the main prompts of the task are adequately covered, earning a solid Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, utilizing standard introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the pronouns and possessive adjectives are occasionally confused, as seen in phrases like 'living in own house give you a chance to design their house'. Additionally, logical links between sentences can be abrupt. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but the transitions require smoother integration to reach a higher band, placing this response securely at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'technological advancement', 'emotional stability', and 'long-term financial security'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors that detract from precision, such as 'accomadation' instead of accommodation, 'appartments' instead of apartments, and the misuse of 'cost effective' in the final paragraph where 'costly' or 'expensive' was clearly intended. Collocations are occasionally weak, like 'cost free'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect the characteristics of Band 5.5 to 6.0. Given the successful attempts at topic-related vocabulary, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses ('that are really difficult to buy') and conditional-style constructions. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include missing articles ('build a accomadation', 'have a own house', 'has a large space'), subject-verb agreement errors ('living in own house give'), and incorrect pronoun usage ('design their house according to your interest'). Punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after periods, also occur. These errors rarely impede overall communication, but their frequency prevents the essay from achieving a Band 6.5, making Band 5.5 a fair and accurate assessment.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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