Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-05

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 the most basic necessity for people, as it is a need for any human being to have roof over his head. Seeing current economy the prices of homes have been skyrocketed and it has become very difficult for a middle-class person to purchase his own home. So instead of buying a house they rent a house so they can live there but it has sparked a debate because in some countries owning a home rather renting one is very important for people. I think it is negative situation and will provide my reasons in the following essay.

On the one hand, there is ethical argument argument by the people who thinks owning a home is far better then living in a rented one. In India people think its a loss of dignity for them if they are living in a rented house they fear about others people thinking towards them. If you own home you are not accountable to anyone. You can live your life peacefully without having a tension of paying rent. for example:- 2 years ago my family was going through tough situation both financially and mentally and because of that it created a need to sell our house but instead of moving to a rented one my father bought a relatively smaller house in less money because he thinks he will loose his dignity if he lives in a rented house.

However, I believe in now economy living in rented house is far better than owning your own home because for purchasing home you need big amount of cash it may be your savings or you have must taken loan from bank. In my opinion, instead of purchasing starts investing that money in your portfolio for example stock market mutual fund etc. This will boost your financial profile as well as your morale for example you must have heard about Elon Musk richest person on earth he once said in the interview the practically don't own any assets in fact he lives in a rented one. He invests all his money in portfolios to boost his financial profile.

In conclusion, I agree with notion of having own home but we should wait for right time and in mean time we can live a rented house and can save money for the right time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main requirements of the task by exploring why homeownership is important and providing a clear personal stance on whether this is a positive or negative situation. However, the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on the cultural and psychological importance of homeownership in India touches upon relevant points regarding dignity and social standing, but it relies heavily on personal anecdote rather than fully elaborated societal arguments. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding financial investment is constrained by overly general assertions and a somewhat superficial example concerning Elon Musk. To move closer to higher bands, the writer needs to extend these arguments with deeper analysis and more varied support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some overall organization with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion, fulfilling basic structural expectations. However, there is no clear overall progression from start to finish, and the logical transition between paragraphs feels mechanical. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on 'for example' and 'on the one hand' without fully integrating them smoothly into the discourse. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, which disrupts the flow of ideas. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure that paragraphs are linked with more sophisticated and flexible cohesive devices, creating a seamless progression of thought throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message of the prompt. The writer attempts to use less common items, such as 'economy', 'dignity', and 'portfolio', but noticeable errors in word choice and collocation occasionally surface, for example writing 'prices of homes have been skyrocketed' instead of 'skyrocketed' or 'in now economy' instead of 'in today's economy'. Spelling and word-formation errors, like 'loose' instead of 'lose' or 'mean time' instead of 'meantime', appear throughout the text. To improve lexical resource, the writer should focus on expanding their range of vocabulary and paying closer attention to exact word forms and collocations suitable for academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are recurrent errors in basic sentence construction, punctuation, and articles, such as missing articles in 'to have roof over his head' or incorrect preposition use. Run-on sentences and punctuation omissions, like missing commas after introductory phrases and in compound sentences, are also frequent and can cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress to a higher band, the writer needs to increase the variety of error-free complex structures, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, and refine overall grammatical accuracy.

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

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