Band 5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay on Owning vs Renting: Development Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

πŸ“… Published Apr 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommendedπŸ“ 367 words Β· Band 5
This Band 5 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of owning versus renting a home. The response, while addressing the topic, suffers from underdevelopment and lacks clear examples, which hinder its overall clarity. Students can learn from this feedback to strengthen their argumentation and structure in future essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Advantages/ Disadvantages Β· House Ownership Β· 40 min


The choice between owning and renting a home involves a careful consideration of various factors that can positively and negatively affect one's life. What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a house compared to renting one?

Write at least 250 words.

 



5Band

Overall Band Score

367 words Β· Advantages/ Disadvantages Β· AI Evaluated

5
Task Response
4.5
Grammar
4.5
Vocabulary
4.5
Coherence

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Overall Band Score
5
Task Response
5
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
4.5
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
4.5
Coherence & Cohesion
4.5

Summary: The essay addresses the question by discussing advantages and disadvantages of owning versus renting a home, and it meets the 250-word minimum (367 words). However, the response is underdeveloped with vague points, lacks clear examples, and contains frequent language errors that hinder clarity. The organization is weak, vocabulary is limited and often misused, and grammatical errors are pervasive. Overall, the essay demonstrates a limited command of English suitable for a band 5.

Now write your own β€” and see how your verdict holds up.

Submit your House Ownership essay and receive AI scores across Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammar β€” plus a Band 9 model answer for your exact question.

Student Answer
Real submission β€’ 367 words β€’ Annotated
367 wordsβ€’Band 5β€’WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

People with different mentality is present in the world. They have their own perspectives regarding house. Peoples have own opinion between the selection of owning or renting the house which involve many factors which cause positive and negative impact of their life. In this essay i will discuss both point of view and also explain advantage and disadvantage.

Some individuals think that renting a home is a best option for living. There is worry about the maintenance and some other chaos of house. You have to just pay a monthly rent to owner and if any problem is occured like plumbing, or electrical issue, then it is the headache of house owner. So, the disadvantage of the renting a house is, person didn't make an asset in their entire life, for they spend handsome amount of money on rent which is not an investment for their future. These peoples just want relax in their life, they fear about the different problem within house which occured with the passage of time.

moreover, on the other hand, most of the individuals including me; have asset building mentality. These people think that if we take a lone from bank and build a house, and we pay off debt in instalment, so in this way we make an asset rather than, we gave montly rent which is not an investment. With every advantage comes some disadvantage. The drawback of owning a house is there is lot of stress like home maintenance, billing issue, sometime like disaster also happened, like tornado, floods, and earth quakes; etc. These disaster harsh the assest and sometime its completely vanished just because of high level disasters. But, its rarely happen after a dacades. But, person make another asset from the previous one through asset building technique.

In Conclusion, advantage of owning a house is more than renting a home, I prefer the buy a house, for i have business mindset and i like to build asset and than another asset. These asset helps you in future because the value of property is enhanced with the passage of time and city development. So, peoples should buy a house rather than spending a life in a renting house.

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling Β· Grammar Β· Vocabulary Β· Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

6 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
occuredoccurred
dacadesdecades
assestasset
loneloan
montlymonthly
thanthen

Grammatical Mistakes

12 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
People with different mentality is presentPeople with different mentalities are presentSubject-verb agreement: 'people' is plural, so use 'are'; also 'mentality' should be plural 'mentalities'.
Peoples have own opinionPeople have their own opinionsIncorrect plural 'peoples'; use 'people' and add possessive 'their' and plural 'opinions'.
In this essay i will discussIn this essay, I will discussCapitalize 'I' and add comma after introductory phrase.
a best optionthe best optionSuperlative requires definite article 'the'.
if any problem is occuredif any problem occursPassive voice misuse; use active voice 'occurs'.
person didn't make an asset in their entire lifea person does not make an asset in their entire lifeTense inconsistency: use present tense 'does not' for general statement; add article 'a'.
These peoples just want relaxThese people just want to relaxIncorrect plural 'peoples'; add 'to' before infinitive.
we gave montly rentwe give monthly rentTense shift: use present tense 'give' for consistency; also spelling 'monthly'.
The drawback of owning a house is there is lot of stressThe drawback of owning a house is that there is a lot of stressMissing conjunction 'that' and article 'a' before 'lot'.
I prefer the buy a houseI prefer to buy a houseIncorrect construction: use infinitive 'to buy' instead of 'the buy'.
for i have business mindsetbecause I have a business mindsetReplace informal 'for' with 'because'; capitalize 'I'; add article 'a'.
and i like to build asset and than another assetand I like to build an asset and then another assetCapitalize 'I'; add article 'an'; replace 'than' with 'then' (time sequence).

Vocabulary Improvements

7 suggestions
Original Word/PhraseImproved Word/PhraseExplanation
chaosissues'Chaos' is too strong and vague; 'issues' is more precise for home maintenance problems.
headache of house ownerresponsibility of the homeowner'Headache' is informal and metaphorical; use 'responsibility' for academic tone.
handsome amount of moneysignificant amount of money'Handsome' is informal and dated; 'significant' is more appropriate for formal writing.
harsh the assestdamage the asset'Harsh' is an adjective, not a verb; use 'damage' as a verb.
high level disasterssevere disasters'High level' is vague; 'severe' is more precise and academic.
asset building techniqueasset-building strategies'Technique' is too narrow; 'strategies' better captures the broader approach.
spending a life in a renting housespending their lives in a rented house'A life' is awkward; use 'their lives' for plural people; 'renting' should be 'rented' (adjective).

Ready to practise? Get instant AI feedback on your verdict.

Submit your House Ownership essay and receive AI scores across all four IELTS criteria β€” with specific feedback on whether your solutions are specific, realistic, and matched to your problems.

Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response5
Evaluation
The essay attempts to discuss both sides of the issue and gives a personal opinion, but the arguments are shallow and not well developed. For example, the disadvantage of renting is only briefly mentioned as not building an asset, and the advantage of owning is similarly simplistic. There is no clear structure for presenting advantages and disadvantages separately, and some points (like natural disasters) are introduced without explanation. The introduction is poorly phrased and does not effectively set up the discussion.
Examples
The essay says 'the disadvantage of the renting a house is, person didn't make an asset' but does not elaborate on how this affects life. Similarly, 'the drawback of owning a house is there is lot of stress like home maintenance' is stated without any detail or example.
How to Improve
To improve, clearly separate the advantages and disadvantages of each option in distinct paragraphs. Use specific examples to illustrate points, such as comparing long-term costs or financial security. Ensure the introduction paraphrases the question and outlines what will be discussed. Develop each idea with a clear explanation.
Coherence & Cohesion4.5
Evaluation
The essay lacks logical flow and clear paragraphing. The first paragraph is a general introduction that repeats the question. The second paragraph discusses renting but also mentions disadvantages of renting and owning in a mixed way. The third paragraph starts with 'moreover, on the other hand' which is confusing. There is no clear topic sentence for each paragraph. Cohesive devices are used incorrectly or sparsely, and the essay jumps between ideas without smooth transitions.
Examples
The phrase 'moreover, on the other hand' is contradictory. The essay moves from 'some individuals think renting is best' to 'most individuals including me have asset building mentality' without a clear link. The conclusion repeats the opinion but does not summarise the discussed points.
How to Improve
Use a clear four-paragraph structure: introduction, advantages/disadvantages of renting, advantages/disadvantages of owning, and conclusion. Start each paragraph with a clear topic sentence. Use linking words appropriately (e.g., 'Firstly', 'In contrast', 'Furthermore'). Avoid mixing ideas within the same paragraph.
Lexical Resource4.5
Evaluation
The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. Words like 'asset', 'house', 'mentality' are used multiple times without variation. There are many inappropriate word choices, e.g., 'chaos', 'headache', 'harsh the asset'. Spelling errors include 'occured', 'dacades', 'instalment'. The essay does not use less common or precise vocabulary. Collocations are often wrong, e.g., 'take a lone' (loan), 'pay off debt in instalment'.
Examples
Instead of 'person didn't make an asset', better phrasing would be 'does not build equity or long-term wealth'. 'Disaster harsh the assest' should be 'disasters damage the asset'. The phrase 'business mindset' is informal and not precise.
How to Improve
Expand vocabulary by learning topic-specific terms such as 'equity', 'mortgage', 'lease', 'maintenance costs', 'property appreciation'. Use synonyms to avoid repetition (e.g., 'dwelling', 'property', 'accommodation'). Practice using correct collocations and spellings. Read model essays to see appropriate lexical range.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy4.5
Evaluation
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that affect comprehension. Subject-verb agreement is often wrong (e.g., 'People with different mentality is present'). Articles are misused or missing (e.g., 'the renting a house', 'a lone'). Verb tenses are inconsistent (e.g., 'if any problem is occured'). Sentence structure is often awkward or incomplete (e.g., 'These peoples just want relax in their life'). There are run-on sentences and missing punctuation.
Examples
'People with different mentality is present in the world' should be 'People with different mentalities exist in the world'. 'if any problem is occured like plumbing, or electrical issue, then it is the headache of house owner' contains multiple errors. 'These asset helps you in future' should be 'These assets help you in the future'.
How to Improve
Review basic grammar rules: subject-verb agreement, article usage, verb tenses (especially conditionals and passives). Practice writing simple, clear sentences before attempting complex structures. Proofread for errors like 'occured' (occurred) and 'dacades' (decades). Use grammar exercises focused on common mistakes. Aim for accuracy over complexity.
πŸ’‘
Tip: Review the Band 9 model answer to see how a high-scoring essay structures arguments, uses advanced vocabulary, and maintains coherence throughout.

RELATED ESSAYS

01
InternetπŸ“ 272 words⏱️ Jun 2026Band 9 Model βœ“
The internet is often seen as a way of shrinking the world by connecting people from different places. Discuss the arguments for and against the idea that the internet has simplified communication between individuals and provide your own opinion on the matter.
The internet has transformed communication by eliminating geographical and temporal barriers. While some argue that it has brought people closer, others believe...
02
InternetπŸ“ 272 words⏱️ Jun 2026Band 9 Model βœ“
The internet connects people from different places and makes the world feel smaller. Discuss the arguments for and against the idea that the internet has simplified communication between individuals and provide your own opinion on the matter. Write at least 250 words.
The internet has transformed communication by eliminating geographical and temporal barriers. While some argue that it has brought people closer, others believe...
03
InternetπŸ“ 258 words⏱️ Jun 2026Band 9 Model βœ“
The internet is often seen as a way of shrinking the world by connecting people from different places. Discuss the arguments for and against the idea that the internet has simplified communication between individuals and provide your own opinion on the matter.
The internet is often described as a technology that has β€œshrunk the world” by making communication between people in different locations almost instantaneous. ...
04
House OwnershipπŸ“ 304 words⏱️ Jul 2026Band 9 Model βœ“
The choice between owning and renting a home involves a careful consideration of various factors that can positively and negatively affect one's life. What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a house compared to renting one? Write at least 250 words. 
Nowadays, some people consider that owning a home is way more better and has more advantages, but others believe that renting one is better because there are so...
05
House OwnershipπŸ“ 304 words⏱️ Jul 2026Band 9 Model βœ“
The choice between owning and renting a home involves a careful consideration of various factors that can positively and negatively affect one's life. What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a house compared to renting one? Write at least 250 words. 
Maslow's heirarchy of needs involves 5 stages that is essential to achieve contentment in life. For you to reach to the 5th stage, you have to surpassed the bot...