Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-02

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 7.0)

Nowadays, in many countries, people prefer to buy their own home rather than living in a rented house. This trend is often caused by peer pressure and the need for stability. However, I believe this is a negative development because buying a house puts a heavy financial burden on individuals.

There are two main reasons why people want to own a house. First, peer pressure plays a significant role in this decision. In many cultures, owning property is seen as a sign of success and adulthood. When people see their friends, colleagues, or relatives buying houses, they feel pressured to do the same so that they do not feel left behind or judged by society. Second, homeownership provides a feeling of security and stability. Renters often worry that their landlord might increase the rent or tell them to leave the property. In contrast, when people have their own home, they can live peacefully without the fear of eviction.

Despite these points, I believe this trend has more negative effects because of the economic problems it creates. Buying a home requires a large amount of money for the initial down payment, and most people have to take out a bank loan for twenty or thirty years. Paying these expensive monthly installments takes away a large part of a person's monthly income. As a result, they have very little money left for medical emergencies, savings, or leisure activities. In addition, homeowners must pay for extra costs such as property tax and home repairs, which tenants do not have to worry about. Therefore, buying a house just to follow society can easily trap someone in debt.

In conclusion, although people purchase homes to fit into society and feel secure, I consider this to be a negative development. The long-term debt and high living expenses can seriously damage a person’s financial stability.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why homeownership is important and clearly stating a negative position regarding this trend. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported well, such as discussing peer pressure and financial stability. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in the development of ideas, which is characteristic of this level, as seen when assuming most people take out twenty or thirty-year loans or face extreme debt purely due to societal pressure. To reach a higher level, the ideas could be developed with even greater nuance, avoiding sweeping statements while maintaining depth of analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, starting with the introduction of reasons and a counter-argument, followed by well-structured body paragraphs and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used flexibly, such as 'First', 'Second', 'In contrast', and 'Despite these points', guiding the reader smoothly through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately. To achieve an even higher score, the management of cohesive devices could be made entirely unnoticeable through more subtle referencing and transitional phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, demonstrating an adequate control of everyday and semi-formal language appropriate for an academic essay. Less common items, such as 'initial down payment', 'monthly installments', and 'financial stability', are used with an awareness of style and collocation. However, there are occasional inaccuracies or slightly generic word choices, such as 'heavy financial burden' or 'follow society'. Spelling and word-form errors are virtually absent, ensuring communication is never impeded. To move towards the next band, the inclusion of a wider variety of sophisticated, less common lexical items and idiomatic phrases is required.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The writing features a good variety of complex structures alongside simple forms, resulting in frequent error-free sentences. Examples of complex structures include relative clauses and conditional-like or concessive phrases such as 'When people see their friends... they feel pressured'. Control of grammar and punctuation is generally good, with accurate use of tense and verb agreement throughout. A few minor errors or slightly awkward phrasings persist, but they do not impede communication. To reach the highest bands, a wider range of more ambitious sentence structures with absolute consistency and near-total absence of minor slips would be necessary.

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