Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Home is crucial for people, and owning a home is a blessing for people. It is necessary for everyone; people want their own home so they can live there comfortably and feel relaxed. From my perspective, owning a home is essential; people live there and make their own rules and regulations. People feel free and can organise and manage things how they would like: decorate, set up all the corners of the house they make and renovate, and paint walls; they feel free to reconstruct their own house. People are not bound; they have the authority to do so freely, and they can also make assets through the home they rent out, generate some income during a financial crisis and also have a positive impact on society.
On the other hand, renting a home binds people; they do not live independently and are always asking for renovations or doing home things for the landlord. It also increases the amount of money, such as rent, advance utility bills, maintenance charges, etc. In the present era, owning a home is vital because it provides safety and more security than a rental.
In conclusion, owning a home provides a better and more secure future; it is also a liability for every individual. People live there easily; it is a calm and relaxed place for everyone. People decorate their houses, change furniture and do renovation work in their own homes; they are not dependent and create their own comfort. I firmly believe that owning a home is the biggest blessing of God.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, exploring why home ownership is important and discussing whether this is a positive or negative situation. However, the development of ideas is limited and somewhat repetitive. For example, the reasons for owning a home focus heavily on freedom of decoration and making rules, such as "decorate, set up all the corners of the house they make and renovate, and paint walls", without exploring deeper economic or social factors. The stance that this is largely positive is clear, but the arguments lack extension and tend to generalise without sufficient support. To reach a higher level, the ideas need to be more fully elaborated with specific examples or broader logical implications regarding financial security and societal stability.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a basic logical progression in the essay, starting with the reasons for owning a home, moving to the alternative of renting, and concluding with a summary of the main points. However, the overall organisation feels somewhat repetitive, with the conclusion echoing points already made in the introduction rather than synthesizing new ideas. Cohesive devices are used, but they can be mechanical or overused, such as starting multiple sentences and clauses with "people" or "they". Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks seamless transitions. To improve, the writer should ensure that each paragraph introduces distinct, progressively developed arguments and that referencing between sentences is clearer and more varied.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, containing basic terms along with some attempts at less common phrasing like "financial crisis", "liability", and "independent". However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation that affect precision, such as referring to owning a home as "a liability for every individual" when the context clearly intends to describe an asset or a necessity. Repetition of common words like "home", "people", and "free" is frequent throughout the text. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a wider range of less common lexical items with greater accuracy and awareness of natural collocations, avoiding confusing word choices.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The text displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple clauses strung together with coordinating conjunctions or punctuation, as seen in "People feel free and can organise and manage things how they would like: decorate, set up all the corners... and paint walls; they feel free to reconstruct their own house." While there are some attempts at complex forms, these are often prone to errors or awkward phrasing. Frequent errors in punctuation, run-on sentences, and clause integration are present, such as comma splices and repetitive use of semicolons. To progress, the writer should work on producing a better mix of error-free complex structures with accurate subordination and punctuation control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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