Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-17

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)

Owning a house is one of the most important thing a person can do in his lifetime and many people prefer having their own house because owning a house can help maintaining peace of mind and prevent financial instability, I think owning a house is a great step as people can live freely and independently.

Most of the people prefer having their own house and they spend majority of their savings to buy their own property, this is because they want to have an asset which can protect them in difficult times, Financial instability and loss of a job can come at any stage and people do not want to be stressed about rentals and bills, so that is why, one should be prepared for these kind of situations.

In my point of view, owning a house is crucial for the mental and financial stablity, It not only gives a roof for protection but it also offers a sense of clarity that is considered as a backbone, for instance, a survey was initiated housing, according to which most of the people who rented a house were seen more financially struggling, because all of their savings were spent on paying rent and bills. They didnot had enough money to invest, As a result they were living hand to mouth.

On the other hand, person who has his own house can live more freely, he can do anything at his own convenience and will. He can invest more and eventually earn more, and while staying tension free, he can catch good opportunities to make more wealth, and if he suffers any loss he can stay calm because he knows that he has an asset on his back.

In conclusion, I think everyone should always consider owning a house on top of their priority list.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question: you explain that people value ownership for security during job loss and because a home is an asset, and you clearly judge it to be positive. These points are relevant, especially the contrast between rent payments and having a property to rely on. However, the reasons are not equally developed: the discussion of peace of mind and financial security repeats across several paragraphs, while the broader reasons why home ownership is especially important in some countries are not explored. The survey example is also vague and its connection to the claim is not fully established. Develop distinct reasons and explain each with a specific, credible example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion, and the reader can follow the general argument. However, progression between ideas is sometimes repetitive: financial security, freedom and investment potential recur without being clearly separated or built upon. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” suggest a contrast, but the following paragraph continues to support the same positive position rather than presenting an opposing view. Several sentences are joined by commas, making relationships between points less clear. Use topic sentences to give each paragraph a distinct purpose, and connect examples directly to the claim they support. More precise referencing would also help the argument flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “financial instability,” “asset,” “independently” and “opportunities,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “living hand to mouth,” though some combinations are unnatural or imprecise: “a sense of clarity” does not clearly express the intended reassurance, and “an asset on his back” is not an idiomatic phrase. Repetition of “own house,” “freely” and “financial” limits flexibility. Spelling and word-form errors, including “stablity” and “didnot,” also affect accuracy. Aim for precise collocations and vary repeated terms, for example by using “home ownership” and “financial security.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “while” and “if,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, some sentences are overloaded with several clauses joined by commas, as in the opening sentence, so punctuation and sentence boundaries need better control. There are also errors in agreement and verb forms: “one of the most important thing” should be “things,” and “They didnot had enough money” should be “They did not have enough money.” Article and plural choices also need attention, as in “person who has his own house.” Practise building complex sentences with clear clause boundaries, and check agreement, articles and verb forms during revision.

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

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