Cambridge 15 Academic Test 1 Essay Question
The sample essay response may be marked as a band 9 in the IELTS test. This essay is not recommended for candidates who just need a band 7 score; this essay is way above that mark. A band 7 essay on the same topic can be found here.
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?
Planning an Essay
Marking the Keywords –> Some Countries – People – Owning a home/ Renting a home
Question Type -> This is a two-part question, asking for reasons and an opinion.
Planning Body paragraph 1 – In this paragraph, we would answer the first part of the question. So, lets note a few reasons for this trend –>
- sense of pride,
- sense of security
Planning Body paragraph 2 – Let us assume that this trend would turn out to be a Negative situation. Few arguments that could be included are ->
- cities are getting crowded,
- lesson from history – the year 2000 – American home-buying – caused the recession
Sample Essay Band 9
Securing a shelter is one of the basic needs of a human being, and naturally, the idea of owning a piece of property is held dearly. So much so that in some nations, renting a house is looked down on, and it is considered imperative to hold rights to real estate. It seems there are many reasons which unfurl such a desire; yet, there is a high probability that this trend would turn sour.
Although there are many reasons for such a yearning towards owning a home, one probable cause would be the mental satisfaction that comes along with it. Firstly, having one’s name on a piece of property develops a sense of pride. When individuals have a home of their own, they feel more content and hold their head high within their peer group. Both friends and family members look up to such an individual. Secondly, four walls and a roof provide a sense of security. For any individual, an owned house mostly translates to a stronghold or a fort, which is realised by observing high fences and boundaries around residential properties. Thus, private property would always be preferred over a rented one.
From another perspective, this trend might have a highly detrimental aftereffect. Primarily, as everyone is looking for a private space, cities are becoming crowded. More so that municipal corporations and city planners are now facing unprecedented issues on a daily basis. For example, the city of London has outgrown its centuries-old sewage system and is investing billions of pounds in building a state-of-the-art wastewater system. Moreover, a few lessons from the past point out this practice as being abysmal. For instance, in the year 2000, an American home-buying spree had had a detrimental effect on world economics, pushing the globe into recession. Thus, everyone buying a personal property may not be feasible in today’s growing economy.
To conclude, even though possession of private property satiates few insecurities of the human mind, it introduces myriad issues at an economic level.
A simpler Band 7 answer to this question can be found here.
P.S. – Most people, including native speakers of English, need some sort of training in IELTS Writing for scoring a band 7 or above!
As such, you need to be able to use different grammatical styles, have an apt vocabulary, learn to build coherence and use natural linking between sentences. Let me stop here, the list is exhaustive!
If you do need to score above a band 7 + in IELTS writing, I would suggest you find yourself a trainer. If you wish, you can Join my IELTS Writing Course.
Justus Joseph