Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-16

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)

It is necessay for the individuals in some countries to buy a house instead of renting one. This essay will discuss the reasons of this trend before explaining why I beleive that it is a positive development.

On the hand, people prefer to buy their own house instead of living in a rent one to remain mentally stable. In some countries people have to follow strict rules and conditions in order to live in a renting house. For example, they are asked to pay a huge fine if they cause any damage to property of the owner. Secondly, they have to pay the rent before the deadline otherwise they will be given the orders to leave the house. To remain free from these restrictions some peope choose to buy their own house.

On the other hand, renting can be costly as compared to purchasing a house in some countries. For example, renting can cause double expenditures than buying a house when the total amount is calculated for certain years. In case of buying a house, people have to invest at a time but when it comes to renting, a person has to pay in a duration such as per month or per year depending upon the demand of owner so it can be costly when an amount is calculated collectively.

In my opinion, it is a negative development as some people that don't have a huge investment; therefore, they cannot afford to buy a house. They can pay the rent monthly or annualy depending upon their salaries. A person who has to leave his family or own house in order to do a job or complete his studies in other city cannot afford to purchase his own house so he prefer to rent a house for some time.

In conclusion, although there are certain advantages for people to have their own house but the authorities should allow certain individuals renting a house who cannot afford to buy their own.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the prompt: the essay gives reasons for preferring ownership and states a view about whether this is positive or negative. The reasons—avoiding rental restrictions and the perceived long-term cost of rent—are relevant, and the final body paragraph explains why renting remains necessary for people who cannot afford a purchase or move temporarily for work or study. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction calls home ownership a positive development, while the later paragraph says it is negative. The conclusion also shifts to what authorities should allow rather than clearly resolving this judgement. Develop the reasons with more precise explanation and maintain one clear position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphs generally focus on one main point, and signposts such as “On the other hand” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression is weakened by the unclear relationship between the two sides: the introduction promises a positive view, but the opinion paragraph argues that the situation is negative. “On the hand” is also an incomplete linking phrase, and the conclusion introduces the authorities without developing that idea earlier. Some connections within paragraphs are mechanical, particularly the repeated sequencing of examples with “For example” and “Secondly.” Make the position consistent and use transitions that show the precise relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “rent,” “restrictions,” “investment,” and “afford.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “positive development” and “collectively.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which makes parts of the argument less precise: “living in a rent one,” “orders to leave the house,” and “double expenditures” do not express the intended meanings naturally. Spelling errors such as “necessay,” “beleive,” “peope,” and “annualy” are noticeable. Build a more accurate set of collocations for housing and costs, and proofread spelling so that your meaning is consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “if they cause any damage” and a longer contrast beginning “In case of buying a house.” The main ideas are usually understandable, but errors recur in sentence construction, articles, agreement and punctuation. For example, “On the hand” is missing a word, while “a person has to pay in a duration” has an incorrect grammatical pattern. The sentence beginning “In my opinion” is also awkwardly joined: “as some people that don't have a huge investment; therefore, they cannot afford…” The final sentence has a subject–verb error in “he prefer.” Practise building accurate complex sentences and check that clauses are joined correctly.

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