Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-09

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 6.0)

In some countries, people would prefer owning a home rather than renting one.

In countries with housing crisis, majority of the people would prefer buying a house and not rent one as the country already has scarcity of housing. Now businessmen who have to frequently visit certain countries for work will prefer to own a house in that country so that they wouldn't have to worry about renting a house or booking a hotel everytime they have to visit. The situation could appear as negative if the country has housing crisis and a lot of population as not everybody will be able to afford a house. Rented houses always have some uncertainity as the landlord might sell the house if he/she finds a client offering a good amount and then people will have to start looking for another house on rent.

Owning a home wouldn't be preferred by people if they are planning to stay in the country for couple of years only. Some people also prefer to purchase a house in a country having a lot of tourists visiting as they can give the house on rent afterwards to generate a side income. People who couldn't afford a house will obviously prefer renting one because of their low annual income as taking a loan would become a burden for them. Students studying in other countries would definetely prefer renting a home because of future uncertainity as they might get a job or start a business somewhere else.

In my opinion, owning a home versus renting one depends upon the situation, requirement and financial stability to label it as positive or negative.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions by suggesting reasons for preferring ownership and considering whether it is positive or negative. Relevant examples include avoiding repeated hotel or rental arrangements for frequent visitors, earning income by renting out a property, and students choosing to rent. However, the reasons are not consistently focused on why home ownership is especially important to people in some countries; the housing-scarcity point is asserted rather than explained, and the frequent-business-visitor example is not clearly linked to the wider social preference. Your final view—that the issue depends on circumstances and finances—does not clearly decide whether this is positive or negative. Develop the country-specific reasons and state a more definite overall judgement, while acknowledging exceptions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, two body paragraphs and a concluding opinion, and the ideas are generally understandable. You also use linking expressions such as “as,” “because,” and “In my opinion” to show relationships between points. However, progression is uneven: the first body paragraph moves from housing scarcity to business travel and then rental insecurity, while the second shifts among short-term residents, tourism, affordability and students without a clear organising principle. The conclusion repeats that circumstances matter rather than drawing together the main reasons and evaluation. Group related reasons into focused paragraphs and use clearer transitions to show how each example supports your answer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “housing crisis,” “scarcity of housing,” “financial stability,” “generate a side income,” and “landlord.” These choices help communicate relevant ideas, and the meaning remains clear despite some imprecise or awkward expressions. For example, “a lot of population” is not a natural way to describe a large population, and “uncertainity” is misspelled; “everytime” and “definetely” also need standard spelling. “Give the house on rent” is understandable but less idiomatic than “rent out the property.” Aim for more accurate collocations and careful proofreading, especially when using phrases about housing and financial circumstances.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if they are planning to stay” and a relative clause in “a client offering a good amount.” Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the longer sentences show an attempt to explain cause and consequence. Some grammatical errors remain: “majority of the people” needs an article (“the majority”), “for couple of years” needs “a couple,” and “people who couldn’t afford a house will … prefer” shifts awkwardly between past and future forms. The sentence beginning “The situation could appear as negative” is also structurally awkward. Review articles, tense consistency and sentence boundaries, and break up some long sentences to improve control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.