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

πŸ“… Published Apr 2026 ⏱️ 40 minutes recommended πŸ“ 367 words Β· Band 5
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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.

 



5 Band

Overall Band Score

367 words · Advantages/ Disadvantages Β· AI Evaluated

5
Task Response
4.5
Coherence
4.5
Lexical Resource
4.5
Grammar

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Task Response
5
Coherence and Cohesion
4.5
Lexical Resource
4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
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.

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Student Answer
Real submission β€’ 367 words β€’ Annotated
367 words Band 5 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 Word Corrected Word
occured occurred
dacades decades
assest asset
lone loan
montly monthly
than then

Grammatical Mistakes

12 errors
Mistake Correction Explanation
People with different mentality is present People with different mentalities are present Subject-verb agreement: 'people' is plural, so use 'are'; also 'mentality' should be plural 'mentalities'.
Peoples have own opinion People have their own opinions Incorrect plural 'peoples'; use 'people' and add possessive 'their' and plural 'opinions'.
In this essay i will discuss In this essay, I will discuss Capitalize 'I' and add comma after introductory phrase.
a best option the best option Superlative requires definite article 'the'.
if any problem is occured if any problem occurs Passive voice misuse; use active voice 'occurs'.
person didn't make an asset in their entire life a person does not make an asset in their entire life Tense inconsistency: use present tense 'does not' for general statement; add article 'a'.
These peoples just want relax These people just want to relax Incorrect plural 'peoples'; add 'to' before infinitive.
we gave montly rent we give monthly rent Tense shift: use present tense 'give' for consistency; also spelling 'monthly'.
The drawback of owning a house is there is lot of stress The drawback of owning a house is that there is a lot of stress Missing conjunction 'that' and article 'a' before 'lot'.
I prefer the buy a house I prefer to buy a house Incorrect construction: use infinitive 'to buy' instead of 'the buy'.
for i have business mindset because I have a business mindset Replace informal 'for' with 'because'; capitalize 'I'; add article 'a'.
and i like to build asset and than another asset and I like to build an asset and then another asset Capitalize 'I'; add article 'an'; replace 'than' with 'then' (time sequence).

Vocabulary Improvements

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

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Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response 5
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 and Cohesion 4.5
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 Resource 4.5
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 and Accuracy 4.5
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.

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