Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In some countries, owning a house is quite important to natives rather than renting it. In my opinion, this is a positive situation due to the benefits and the sense of security it offers.

Firstly, buying a house requires a high upfront cost but it can be less costly in the long run. Moreover, land ownership is proven to be an asset rather than a liability. This means, the price of the building increases with time and is not affected negatively by increasing inflation. For example, those who bought property in New York in 20th century at the price of few thousand dollars are now holding assets worth millions of dollars. On the contrary, renting a house means increasing rentals per annum. Also the policies introduced by owners that rentee may have to abide by can be quite hectic sometimes.

Secondly, owning a home provides families a sense of security and belonging. It gives them independence to furnish their place as they may find suitable. Furthermore, it provides with a place where people belong and can return to. For example, people have emotional attachment to the place that was designed and built from the scratch for them. They long to return to the places where they have memories of their parents and children.

In conclusion, having a home gives both emotional and financial benefits that is why it is a positive situation. Nevertheless, renting a house has benefits of its own, mobility, for example. However, benefits of owning a house outweigh advantages of renting it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt. The writer investigates why homeownership is valued in some countries and clearly states a position that this is a positive situation. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the historical reference to New York property prices and the emotional attachment families develop towards a self-built home. While some arguments could be explored in even greater depth, the response meets all the core requirements of Task Achievement. The position is maintained clearly throughout the introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, such as financial benefits in the second paragraph and emotional security in the third. Cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are employed to guide the reader through the text, though occasional mechanical transitions appear. Referencing is generally clear, and each body paragraph maintains a distinct focus that supports the main thesis statement presented in the introduction.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'upfront cost', 'asset rather than a liability', and 'emotional attachment'. However, there are some minor lexical slips and awkward collocations, such as 'the price of few thousand dollars' instead of 'a few thousand dollars' and 'policies introduced by owners that rentee may have to abide by'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses. There is good control over punctuation for the most part, and many sentences are error-free. However, a few minor grammatical errors persist, such as article omissions ('in 20th century' instead of 'in the 20th century') and preposition choices ('provides with a place' instead of 'provides a place'). These errors do not impede communication, and the overall grammatical control aligns well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors.

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