Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-29

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 having a own house rather than renting house plays a crucial role for individuals. This trend offers several benefits such as security, stability, financial support and

flexibility, and I belive that it is a positive development.

One of the important reason is that design flexibility to the home. This is because individuals might have own preferences for interior and exterior designs. They can style the house based on their ideas. Moreover, they may be consider parking space. For example, a person who likes gardening should include pot trees and flowers in the balcony area. As a result, people can live happily with their choices.

Another significant reason is that owning a home provides long-term stability. In some cultures, having a house is also seen as a sign of success and social status. people may feel more comfortable knowing that they have a permanent place to live and do not depend on a landlord. For instance, families with children may prefer to own a house because they can stay in the same neighbourhood for many years. This can create a stable environment for children.

However, renting house also beneficial for low-income families becauce it is cheap and flexible. people can move to different cities easily and able to stay. Renting a house is a flexible option for residents in the society because they can find budget homes and saves money for education and healthcare. One example is that students who are living in abroad countries to pursue higher education they might save money from living in a renting home.

They might live their life within budget and comfortable.

In conclusion, although buying a house is expensive it offers financial security, flexibility and social status rather than renting a house. I strongly belive that it is a positive development for society and individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both why home ownership is important and whether it is a positive or negative situation. A clear position is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout. The reasons provided, such as design flexibility and long-term stability, are relevant and extended, though some points in the body paragraphs could be further elaborated. For instance, the discussion on renting introduces valid counterpoints regarding low-income families and students. Overall, the task is answered satisfactorily, aligning well with the expectations for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, though the development of some ideas tends to be slightly brief.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct points, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'One of the important reason is', 'Moreover', and 'However'. However, paragraphing and referencing contain minor mechanical flaws, and some cohesive links feel a bit repetitive or rigid (e.g., 'Another significant reason is that'). Paragraph 4 attempts to balance renting benefits, but the transitions between ideas inside this paragraph are slightly abrupt. Overall, there is a clear logical progression throughout the text, warranting a solid Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'financial support', 'flexibility', 'interior and exterior designs', and 'social status'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'having a own house' instead of 'owning a home', 'renting house' instead of 'renting a house', and 'pot trees' instead of 'potted plants'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips affect lexical accuracy in places. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but inaccuracies prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including article omissions ('in abroad countries'), subject-verb agreement issues ('reasons is that design flexibility', 'students who are living... they might save'), and spelling/word forms ('belive' instead of believe, 'becauce' instead of because). While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they occur regularly and demonstrate limited control over complex structures, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range.

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

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