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 several countries, owning a home is considered much more compelling than renting one. This is mainly because people associate home ownership with financial security, stability, and social status. On my perspective, although purchasing a house can be financially demanding, this trend is generally positive.

There are several reasons, why individuals prefer to own their home. First and foremost, property is often seen as a long-term investment. Instead of paying rent without gaining ownership, pupils can invest their money in a house that may increase value over time. Additionally, owning a home provides a greater stability. homeowner do not have a worry about landlords increasing a rent or asking them to leave, which can be particularly imperative in family with children. In some cultures, owning property is also regarded as a sign of financial success and way of providing support for future generations.

I strongly believe that this situation is largely positive, though it has some drawbacks. One major benefit is that homeowners can secure place to live after retirement, when they may have a lower income. Moreover, a property speculation can be passed ton to children, giving a next generation to some financial support. However, purchasing a house can place people under considerable finance pressure due to they may need to take out a large mortgage and make repayments for myriad years, consequentially, this can reduce the amount of money available for other important needs.

In conclusion, individuals may prefer home ownership because it offers financial assistance, stability, and a valuable long-term asset. Despite the financial pressure involved in buying a property, I believe the overall impact of this preferences is positive when pupils can afford it without taking on excessive debt.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why home ownership is important and clearly stating your position that it is a positive situation. Your ideas are relevant and supported with valid arguments, such as financial security, long-term investment, and stability. However, some arguments lack deeper extension; for instance, the point about family support and future generations could have been elaborated further. You also use the phrase 'On my perspective' in the introduction, which is a minor lexical slip. Overall, the task is well-handled and covers both questions adequately, aligning well with the Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptors. Because your main ideas are clear, well-structured, and fully answer the prompt, a band score of 6.5 is well-earned.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Your essay exhibits a clear overall logical organization and progression. You use a standard four-paragraph structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs exploring the respective prompts, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to connect your ideas, such as 'First and foremost', 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'However'. However, paragraph two suffers from some awkward transitions and phrasing errors, such as 'pupils' instead of people or buyers, and 'homeowner do not have a worry', which disrupts the flow slightly. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally imprecise. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, creating a readable essay that demonstrates a coherent arrangement overall.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items like 'long-term investment', 'financial security', and 'mortgage'. However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher score. For example, using 'pupils' to refer to general adults or buyers is incorrect in this context, and you wrote 'a rent' instead of rent, 'finance pressure' instead of financial pressure, and 'property speculation' when you likely meant property investment or purchasing. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they highlight limitations in precision and lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You display a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the essay, including conditional and relative clauses. There are, however, several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing choices. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('homeowner do not have a worry'), missing articles or incorrect article usage ('a greater stability', 'a next generation'), and a faulty clause structure caused by using 'due to they may need' instead of 'due to the fact that they may need'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, although a comma splice occurs in the third paragraph ('for myriad years, consequentially, this can reduce'). Communication is rarely impeded, but the accumulation of errors keeps the score at a solid 6.0.

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

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