Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-21

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)

In some countries, owning a house is more beneficial than renting an apartment for some. There are several advantages and drawbacks of owning one, and this mainly involves the financial capacity, and the desire to stability of a person.

One main reason why people would prefer homeownership is on the grounds that a house can be a long-term asset. Securing the mortgage on a monthly basis could be financially exhausting, however, the money the the tenants use for the rent to the apartments do not give back ownership.

One major advantage of having your own home also falls on the safety, security of the people who live in it, and the freedom to do whatever you want to do with the house. If you have the possession of the house you have all the legal rights to do whatever you would like to do to make sure that the house is perfectly built and in a good condition. While renting does not give the freedom to the tenants to renovate and some would not allow decorating and moving the furniture.

On the other hand, there could be drawback of owning a home. One of it is the financial security. Mortgage could be skyrocketed and the the maintenance of the house could also require a lot of money. Whereas, if you are just renting the landlady is the one responsible for the repairs and for all the financial obligations that is attached to the house.

In conclusion, owning a house requires more financial obligation than renting one. Having said that, homeownership provides security and stabilty.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question by giving reasons for homeownership, including long-term asset value, security and freedom to alter a property, and by mentioning financial drawbacks. However, the response does not clearly answer whether this is a positive or negative situation. The conclusion says ownership brings security but does not state an overall judgement, and the opening mainly announces advantages and drawbacks rather than establishing your view. Some points also need fuller explanation: for example, the claim that owning a home provides safety is not supported with a specific reason, while the financial comparison is only briefly developed. State your position directly and support each main reason with a clear explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for reasons and drawbacks, and a conclusion. Paragraphs generally stay focused, and transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, progression is sometimes mechanical, and the relationship between ideas is not always clear. The opening mentions financial capacity and a desire for stability, but these points are not developed as a clear organising framework. In the second paragraph, the contrast between mortgage payments and rent is difficult to follow. Improve cohesion by linking each supporting sentence explicitly to its main point and using clearer references, rather than relying mainly on standard transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “long-term asset,” “mortgage,” “legal rights,” “renovate,” and “financial obligations.” This gives you enough range to discuss ownership and renting, though some word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or awkward. For example, “desire to stability” and “mortgage could be skyrocketed” do not express the intended meanings naturally, while “the money the tenants use for the rent to the apartments” is unnecessarily confusing. There is also repetition of “house” and “financial.” Aim for more precise, natural phrases and check spelling, as in “stabilty.” Using accurate collocations such as “build financial security” and “cover maintenance costs” would make your ideas clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a conditional sentence (“If you have the possession of the house…”) and a contrast clause beginning “While renting…”. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur often enough to make some sentences awkward. Examples include “the money the the tenants use,” the incomplete construction “While renting does not give the freedom…,” and “One of it is the financial security.” There are also problems with articles and agreement, as in “there could be drawback” and “Mortgage could be skyrocketed.” Work on building complete clauses, choosing the correct article and pronoun forms, and checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb. More accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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