Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-20

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)

Nowadays, with the increase in urban population providing housing facilities is becoming a major concern. Some people tend to live in rented houses, while to some people owning a house is a priority. To my perspective, owning a house has far more advantages than renting one.

On the one hand, people worldwide live in rented houses because their incomes do not support them to buy one and some struggle to earn a living. Individuals have other responsibilities they tend to fulfill such as providing their families with basic necessities such as food, clothes and education where buying a house is not prioritized. Moreover, I think that renting a house comes with certain disadvantages such as the landlord can come unannounced anytime which arises privacy concerns. Secondly, one has to maintain a rented house because any little damage can result in a fine or the severe consequence may be the termination of the contract. Lastly the landlord can increase the rent whenever they want and may not abide by the contract.

On the other hand, owning a house has much more benefits. If an individual has his or her own space they might be able to concentrate on their work better resulting in more productivity. Moreover, it also provides a sense of inner fulfillment as they have something they can call their own. Another significant advantage is that one can decorate the house according to their own taste and upgrade it whenever they want. It also saves them from unnecessary stress of paying a rent which may be a financial burden to others. This has a profound positive impact on mental well-being leading to a more peaceful life. Having a house of your own is a life-long investment and its value increases over-time.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that owning a house is much better than living in a rented one, although it requires a hefty amount but this problem can be tackled with proper budgeting and if one knows how to manage their finances. Subsequently, it also provides long-term benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, explaining why homeownership is important and giving a clear opinion that it is a positive situation. The writer presents relevant ideas, such as financial constraints, privacy concerns, and psychological benefits, extending these points adequately throughout the body paragraphs. For instance, the discussion on how renting impacts mental well-being through stress reduction is well-realized. However, the explanation of why renting is important in some countries remains somewhat broad and could have been tied more closely to broader socio-economic factors to reach a higher band. Overall, the position is clear throughout and the main parts of the task are well covered, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are arranged coherently, moving from the introduction to reasons for renting, benefits of owning, and a definitive conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader, although paragraphing could occasionally be tighter—for example, the final paragraph is slightly brief and could be better integrated. Referencing is generally clear, though minor mechanical transitions like 'Secondly' lack a matching 'Firstly' earlier in the paragraph sequence. Nevertheless, cohesion and paragraphing meet the Band 7 standards successfully.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing terms like 'housing facilities', 'financial burden', 'profound positive impact', and 'life-long investment'. There are attempts to use less common items with general awareness of collocation, such as 'inner fulfillment' and 'severe consequence'. However, there are occasional word choice and phrasing inaccuracies, such as 'To my perspective' instead of 'From my perspective', and minor run-on issues like 'comes with certain disadvantages such as the landlord can come'. Vocabulary is adequate and allows communication to flow smoothly, fitting the Band 6 profile while occasionally touching upon Band 7 features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over several multi-clause structures (e.g., 'If an individual has his or her own space they might be able to concentrate...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, particularly in the discussion of the advantages of homeownership. However, some grammatical inaccuracies and punctuation slips persist, such as missing commas before coordinating conjunctions ('Lastly the landlord can increase') and pronoun agreement slips ('an individual... they'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, allowing the essay to comfortably secure a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

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