Sample response & feedback

Owning a Home Rather Than Renting

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

Annotated response

10 correction notes

Showing 10 correction notes.

Owning a home is often considered an essential element of a dream come true. In fact, it is often viewed as a symbol of success and stability. This essay will explore the reasons why owning a house is so important to people and why this is a positive development.

One of the main reasons why owning a home is so important to people is that it provides a sense of security and stability. Renting a place of residence can often be unpredictable, as landlords may or decide to sell the property. In contrast, homeowners have more control over their living situation and are not subject to the whims of landlords. For instance, consider a family who has been renting an apartment for several years. They have established a comfortable life in the neighbourhood, with their children attending nearby schools and forming friendships within the community. However, the landlord unexpectedly them to because he himself has decided to live there. It would be a very depressing situation for the tenant.

I believe this is a positive trend because owning a home provides a sense of permanence and belonging. It allows people to put down roots in a community and become more invested in their surroundings. Moreover, owning a home can be a good investment. Over time, real estate tends to appreciate in value, meaning that homeowners can potentially make a profit if they sell later on. For example, during the housing market boom in the early 2000s, many people who owned homes in desirable locations saw their property values skyrocket.

In conclusion, owning a house provides homeowners with a sense of security, stability, and belonging to a community, and can also be a good investment. While there may be some minor downsides to homeownership, ultimately, owning a home is a goal that many people, all around the world, aspire to, and it is a worthy one.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response gives a clear positive answer and explains the appeal of residential security through a detailed family example. Its structure and varied complex sentences generally support a readable argument. Development is less complete for the status motive and community benefits, while the investment example needs clearer interpretation. The verb pattern "informs them to vacate" and an inconsistent property reference are specific language issues to correct.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

TR Task Response

7.0

The response answers both questions with a consistent positive position and a developed example of rental insecurity. The status motive is introduced but not developed, and the community and investment benefits would be stronger with more precise explanation.

CC Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically across clearly organised paragraphs with a range of cohesive devices, though transitions are at times somewhat mechanical.

LR Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is flexible with some less common items such as 'whims of landlords', 'put down roots', and 'skyrocket', despite occasional informal or imprecise phrasing.

GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A variety of complex structures, including conditionals, relative clauses, and subordinate constructions, is used with good control and only minor, non-impeding errors.