Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-27

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)

In this contemporary society, owning a home has become increasingly important. Some people argue that owning a home provides a sense of independence, while critics say that renting is the most suitable option. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe owning a property is the most reasonable option.

There are several reasons why people favour rental accomodation. Firstly, renting is really necessary in big cities as people need to move to large cities to get advanced education, quality healthcare systems, and better career opportunities. If everyone who moves to city considering ownership, it would be very difficlut for cities to accomodate such a great population due to sufficient land availability. In this case, rental apartments and homes are much more realistic options. Secondly, not everyone can afford to buy his home due to financial instability. Owning a home requires a significant amount of money, and for disadvantaged people collecting a huge figure may take several years and sacrifices. In order to avoid these problems, individuals may find a rental homes more realistic approach.

On the other hand, in many countries people choose owning a home. Firstly, private homes can give them the liberty and prevent them from stricter rules and regulations of rental accomodations. Individuals may get a sense of security and freedom in their own houses and can design them according to their taste and preferences. Resultantly, nobody can ask them to leave the home. Secondly, purchasing a home can help you save monthly income that would otherwise be given to house owner. Although, buying home requires a one-time huge investment, it prevents you giving part of monthly income for rental expenses. As a result, individuals may use this money for other important needs including education and healthcare.

All things considered, although renting home can provide you with a suitable and comfortable shelter, I believe owning a home is the most suitable approach due to the benfits of the liberty and security. The advantages of purchasing a property outweigh its disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why home ownership is important and discussing whether this is a positive or negative situation. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the body paragraphs mix arguments for renting and owning somewhat awkwardly in the structure, though the ideas are generally relevant. The reasons behind the importance of home ownership, such as security and financial savings, are supported with understandable points, but some arguments are slightly repetitive or underdeveloped. Overall, the response meets the criteria for Band 6.5 as it covers all parts of the task with a clear position, though development and task framing could be sharper.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with logical paragraphing. Each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, moving from an introduction to arguments for renting, arguments for owning, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, with transition signals like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' structuring the flow. However, some referencing is slightly flawed, as seen in the sentence 'If everyone who moves to city considering ownership...', where grammar slips impact cohesion. Additionally, some paragraph transitions feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the organizational structure is clear and easy to follow, supporting a Band 6.5 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with attempts to incorporate less common items such as 'financial instability', 'stricter rules', and 'one-time huge investment'. However, there are several lexical errors, spelling mistakes, and collocation slips throughout the text. Examples include 'accomodation' (spelled incorrectly as accomodation), 'rental homes more realistic approach', and 'due to sufficient land availability' (where 'insufficient' or a lack of land was likely intended). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band. The lexical range is sufficient for a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The candidate displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating the ability to construct longer sentences with subordinate clauses, such as 'Although, buying home requires a one-time huge investment, it prevents you giving part of monthly income for rental expenses.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and omissions, particularly missing articles ('moves to city', 'buying home') and preposition errors ('prevent them from stricter rules'). There are also occasional tense and agreement issues. While these errors are noticeable, the majority of sentences remain understandable, and meaning is rarely obscured. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor.

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

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