Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Every country has its own particular customs and values, with which their government operates independently. For many foreign countries like Australia for instance, people highly prefer owning their own home rather than buying and renting a house they have to pay for every month. The reason behind this mindset holds a wide range of individualism, where individuals can make changes to their own home according to their particular requirements and desires, without a any government or public involvement. The rented houses are strictly prohibited to be redesigned or reconstructed without an appropriate lawful approach. The government penaltises those who dares to change the household features including its infrastructure inside or out. Thus, making it quite hard for people to make typical adjustments while holding back their needs for changes. Although the people can ask for permission to do, but a self-decisive act regarding the house is a concerning factor and for these particular circumstances, most people strive to have their own homeplace. Aother most omportant reason is the sense of financial security and property. With own home, a person feels financial secure and does not depend on others decisions to living standards. Here comes the feeling of security that the individual no longer need to be afraid of getting a notice to leave the house by landlords. Therefore, the financial security and the feeling of having a property is a long-term investment everyone must try to invest in.

The privacy to modify the house according to one's need is also exploited when the owner of the house denies to its permission. This establishes a concept of owning one's own home with self-centred decisions and also it becomes an ultimate asset to an indivudual for a long-term advantage.

I personally believe this is an extremely positive approach which gives the idea of self-sufficiency and confidence to a person who does not need to ask or adjust into a house where renovation can not be done without permission from the legislation or the owner of the house.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the task by explaining why home ownership is preferred (freedom to modify and financial security) and giving a clear position that this is a positive situation. The ideas are generally relevant and extended, such as discussing the limitations of renting and the long-term investment aspect. However, there is some repetition between the body paragraphs regarding the inability to renovate rented houses. Additionally, the mention of 'government' involvement in private rentals in Australia is slightly inaccurate in general terms, though it serves to illustrate the student's point about restrictions. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing it firmly in the Band 6 territory.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with clear attempts at linking ideas using cohesive devices like 'Thus', 'Although', and 'Therefore'. However, paragraphing is a noticeable weakness. The main body of the essay is compressed into one massive block of text, followed by a very short paragraph and a single-sentence conclusion. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally faulty, such as in the phrase 'when the owner of the house denies to its permission', where pronoun reference is unclear. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or overused, and the lack of proper paragraph breaks impacts the overall logical flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'individualism', 'reconstructed', 'penaltises', 'self-sufficient', and 'legislation'. However, there are numerous word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'penaltises' instead of 'penalises', 'homeplace', 'Aother', 'omportant', 'secure' instead of 'securely', and 'indivudual'. Collocation is also occasionally unnatural, as seen in 'denies to its permission'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a Band 5 level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that affect readability. Examples include 'without a any government', 'where individuals can make changes... without a any government or public involvement', 'The rented houses are strictly prohibited to be redesigned', and 'renovation can not be done'. Article usage is inconsistent, and prepositions are occasionally misused ('denies to its permission'). Complex structures frequently contain errors, restricting the score to Band 5.

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