Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-28

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 some countries, many people buy their own homes rather than renting. In my opinion, buying a home is the right decision, as it provides financial security and stability.

There are several reasons why home ownership is highly valued in certain countries. Many people buy their own homes because of financial security; they think it seems like a long-term investment. For example, some people purchase a property early because they expect homes to become too expensive in the future, and this protects their families from further difficulties. Another reason is cultural and family tradition most people buy their own homes because their relatives buy homes early, and seeing them makes people feel that they should buy a home just as they did. For instance, in Pakistan, most people judge others financially, and if someone does not own a home, they are not valued in the eyes of affluent people.

Owning a home also has clear advantages as a long-term savings plan, as many people buy a home to save their money for future needs. For example, in Pakistan, most people save their money to buy a home as a financial safety net. Another reason is that it protects against rising rents people fear rents, which increase every year, and that is why most people think of buying their own home instead of paying rent. For instance, in some foreign countries, house rents are very high and people cannot afford them, so they decide to buy their own homes.

In conclusion, I maintain that owning a home is the best option as a financial safety net, and it also protects against rising rents, since both rents and purchase prices are likely to increase greatly in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by exploring reasons for home ownership, such as financial security, cultural traditions, and protection against rising rents, while also taking a clear position that this is a positive situation. The ideas are generally relevant and supported with examples, such as referencing cultural pressures in Pakistan and the desire to avoid yearly rent increases. However, some arguments tend to overlap or become repetitive across paragraphs, particularly the recurring focus on financial safety nets and rising rents. To reach a higher band, the development of ideas could be more sharply differentiated, ensuring each body paragraph introduces entirely distinct angles rather than restating similar economic concerns in different ways. Nonetheless, the task is successfully fulfilled with a clear stance and coherent development throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a clear overall progression with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct facets of the prompt, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences, such as 'For example', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion'. However, cohesion can occasionally feel mechanical or repetitive, and some sentences lack smooth transitions, leading to slight choppiness. For instance, the transition between cultural traditions and financial judgement in the second paragraph could be blended more naturally. Referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in conjunctive ties would elevate the logical flow and make the structure more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'financial security', 'long-term investment', 'affluent', and 'safety net'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though precision and collocation are occasionally imprecise, such as 'judge others financially'. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band score, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated lexical items and idioms with greater naturalness and flexibility, avoiding the repetition of standard phrases like 'most people buy their own homes'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'because', 'if', and 'while'. There is good control of basic structures, and punctuation is generally sound. However, the range of complex structures remains somewhat limited, and minor errors occur, such as comma splices or slightly run-on sentences in phrases like 'Another reason is cultural and family tradition most people buy their own homes because their relatives buy homes early'. While these errors do not impede communication, a greater variety of advanced structures with higher accuracy is required to meet the criteria for higher bands.

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