Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there.

What is your opinion about this?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Rural spaces are the only area accessible for the construction of new homes and some individuals are against this development. In my opinion, new homes should be erected in countryside as it prevents families from being stranded which is more important to their health than preserving local spaces for agriculture.

Rural areas have trees in abundance which is essential for ventilation and farming. Individuals believe that not having a congested air is important in boosting their health which is the reason why people in villages have increased life span. Also, having a large area for growing crops contributes to easy access to food by humans and animals as it is important for farmers to they have variety of products for sale. For example, a farmer can allocate part of his land to rearing animals such as goats where the weeds provides beneficial nutrients for them, the other part would be used for sowing different types of seeds which upon germination provides food for his family and also available in market to indigens.

Having a home is a basic life need that if overlooked could lead to a large number of people not having shelter. This can result in them staying at inappropriate places like under bridge, bus stop areas which endagers them, keeps them unkempt. For instance, water is not readily available to people living on the streets as water facilities are usually incorporated in homes, this results in homeless people not taking their bathe for days that could affect their skin health.

In conclusion, people protect rural area to preserve healthy lifestyle which increases income but it is crucial that people are not internally displaced as it could affect their health and put their life at risk.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you favour building homes in the countryside because housing is a basic need, and you acknowledge that rural land supports farming and health. The examples about a farmer dividing land between crops and animals, and homeless people lacking access to water, make your reasons more concrete. However, the response only partly develops the comparison at the heart of the question. The claim that homes prevent families from being “stranded” is not explained, and the conclusion introduces “income” without showing how this relates to your argument. Explain more directly why housing needs outweigh the environmental and agricultural costs, and support that judgement with a specific example or practical qualification, such as limiting construction to less productive land.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “Also,” “For example,” and “For instance” help signal additions and illustrations. However, progression between the ideas is not always clear. The first body paragraph moves from trees and health to farming and then to a detailed farm example, while the connection between these points and your support for building homes remains unclear. The conclusion’s reference to increased income also feels disconnected from the preceding argument. Use clearer topic sentences and explain how each paragraph supports your position; more precise referencing would also help readers follow links between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “construction,” “preserving,” “agriculture,” “shelter,” and “internally displaced,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also an attempt to use less common expressions, such as “congested air” and “germination.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural and sometimes make the meaning harder to follow: “stranded” does not clearly describe a lack of housing, “not having a congested air” is awkward, and “available in market to indigens” is unclear. Spelling and word-form choices such as “endagers” and “indigens” also need attention. Aim for precise, natural phrases and check unfamiliar vocabulary in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses (“which is the reason why…”) and conditional phrasing (“if overlooked could lead…”). These attempts show some range, but control is inconsistent, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “it is important for farmers to they have variety of products” has a faulty clause structure, while “the weeds provides” and “the other part would be used… which upon germination provides” contain agreement problems. Articles and plurals are also sometimes missing or inconsistent, as in “under bridge” and “a large area.” Break long sentences into clearer units, check subject–verb agreement, and review articles and clause construction so that complex ideas remain easy to understand.

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.