Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-24

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)

Some people believe that owning an apartment is more crucial than living in a rental house. I agree with this view because possessing a home provides housing security and personal autonomy, which renting cannot offer.

In this modern world, people prefer ownership rather than rental property for the following reasons. Ownership offers financial security and long-term wealth building. It builds equity over time instead of paying rent that disappears monthly. When you own, every mortgage payment you make increases your ownership of the property—gradually building an asset worth money. In contrast, renters pay indefinitely with nothing to show for it. Additionally, ownership provides independence, allowing homeowners to control their space. Families are not dependent on a landlord's decisions and can make future plans like modifying, renovating, or decorating spaces without a landlord's permission.

This is a positive aspect because every family needs financial stability to plan their future. Ownership provides security as homeowners build capital through equity rather than wasting money on rent. This accumulated capital can be invested in studies abroad, gold, new business ventures, and other opportunities for family growth. The independence of ownership allows homeowners to build their ideal living space and make long-term plans without fear of sudden eviction or restrictions. Consequently, they plan to live in the owned apartment for a longer time and build long-term connections with neighbors. For example, apartment owners in Mumbai have renovated and personalized their homes without seeking landlord permission, creating spaces that reflect their family's needs and values. This freedom allows them to invest in improvements to their property, increasing its value while building lasting community connections.

To sum up, home ownership grants families both financial empowerment and freedom of choice in their living arrangements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why home ownership is important and clearly stating their position that this is a positive situation. In the body paragraphs, relevant reasons such as financial stability, equity building, and personal autonomy are provided and supported with logical extensions and an illustrative example from Mumbai. The position is maintained consistently throughout the text. While some ideas could be explored with even greater depth to reach higher band levels, the response thoroughly covers the required components of the task, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is introduced effectively, starting with a clear thesis in the introduction, moving into reasons for home ownership in the second paragraph, evaluating its positive nature in the third paragraph, and concluding succinctly. Cohesive devices such as 'In this modern world,' 'Additionally,' 'In contrast,' and 'Consequently' are used reasonably well to connect ideas, though paragraphing and transitions are slightly formulaic. Referencing and paragraph structures are generally clear and contribute to an overall coherent piece of writing, fitting the Band 7.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, employing less common lexical items such as 'housing security,' 'personal autonomy,' 'financial stability,' and 'equity.' There are some attempts at precise terminology like 'mortgage payment,' 'eviction,' and 'capital.' While word choice is mostly appropriate and communicative, there is occasional slight repetition or lack of idiomatic flexibility. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, placing the writing comfortably at a Band 7.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional or participial phrases ('When you own, every mortgage payment...'). There is a high frequency of error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled competently. Minor awkwardness or structural limitations occasionally surface, but overall, the student demonstrates good control of grammar and syntax with only occasional non-systematic errors that never impede communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

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

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