Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Having an own house is considered to be a great accomplishment as people spend long-term investment to build their dream house. These days people pay more emphasis on renting a house rather than owning one. In my opinion, renting a house instead of buying one is positive situation as rental houses are more flexible in terms of relocation based on workplace location as it helps to avoid unnecessary commuting. I believe owning a house should be planned after successful settlement in life. This essay presents supporting arguments which will be discussed in following paragraphs.

To begin with, individuals need to stay near to their workplace to focus on their productivity in workplace, rental houses are beneficial in order to save time from being stuck in heavy traffic congestion while commuting to office. As a result, employees can change their workplace and house according to their interests.

In addition, renting a house not only beneficial to working professionals but also to students. having a house near to school or bus stops can help children to be independent to travel. For instance, prioritising career and education in particular stages of life can ultimately lead to better investments in building dream house in the future.

To continue, the experiences of renting house can help to have basic ideas of pros and cons of living in particular area and also helps to build ideas of interior according to interest.

In conclusion, buying a land and constructing a house requires minimum of 50-60 lakhs which can lead to financial crisis if not planned accordingly. These days parents and children live separately according to their education and work which can be major drawback of owning home. Therefore, owning a house at 50s with partner or children after retirement or settlement is far better situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

Your position is identifiable: you consider renting positive and argue that home ownership is better after people have settled. You also give relevant reasons, including flexibility around work and education, and the financial risk of building a house. However, the response only partly answers the question’s main first part: it asks why owning a home is important in some countries, while most of your essay explains the advantages of renting. The point about renting as a way to learn about an area is relevant but not clearly connected to why ownership matters. Develop the cultural, financial, or security reasons people value owning a home, then explain more fully why you judge this preference positive or negative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, and its ideas generally relate to housing choices. Paragraphing helps separate the workplace, student, and financial points. However, progression is uneven: the opening says people emphasise renting, although the prompt concerns the importance of owning, and the first body paragraph combines several ideas in a long sentence. Transitions such as “To begin with,” “In addition,” and “To continue” make the sequence visible but can feel mechanical; the final transition also introduces another point without developing it. Make each paragraph’s central claim explicit and connect examples directly to that claim. Clearer referencing and a more consistent line from the question to your conclusion would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “relocation,” “commuting,” “financial crisis,” and “settlement,” and the meaning is usually understandable. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “heavy traffic congestion” and “pros and cons.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “spend long-term investment,” “pay more emphasis,” and “basic ideas of pros and cons” do not express the intended meanings naturally. “Successful settlement in life” is also vague. Aim for precise, conventional combinations and check whether a noun or verb fits the context. This would make your arguments clearer and more fluent without requiring more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex forms, including a conditional-style explanation with “as it helps to avoid unnecessary commuting” and a sentence beginning “For instance.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “renting a house not only beneficial” is missing a verb, and “having a house near to school” lacks an article before “school.” The opening sentence, “Having an own house is considered to be a great accomplishment as people spend long-term investment,” has several problems with sentence construction and article use. There are also comma splices, such as the sentence joining the workplace claim to “rental houses are beneficial.” Practise complete clauses, articles, and punctuation when joining independent ideas.

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