This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from IELTS Cambridge 15 on the topic of owning a home rather than renting one.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay Cambridge 15: Owning or Renting a Home

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?

Cambridge IELTS 15

Many people today value owning their own home over renting. In my opinion, this is part of a natural human desire for security and prestige but it contains risks.

The source of this desire is a need for stability and respect. An individual who does not own their own home must pay rent to a landlord. This hangs over them and necessitates maintaining a job with a steady salary and balancing rent against other living expenses. Once a person owns their own home, they are then able to spend their money more freely and consider different employment without the fear of becoming homeless. Moreover, having a home lends an air of respectability. Only the wealthy are able buy a house and most homeowners take pride in the size and condition of their home as a sign of their social standing.

Nonetheless, home ownership is a negative trend as it forces unrealistic expectations on millions. Most people live in city apartments with rents and are not capable of buying a house. The pressure to buy one is likely to engender feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards the upper classes. This famously fueled the sub-prime mortgage scandals of the early 2000s in the United States when millions borrowed more than they could afford to buy homes, then defaulted on their payments and lost a lifetime of investment. Had these same people opted to rent, they would have saved more money and could have invested in other forms of capital such as the stock market.

In conclusion, owning a home is innately desirable but in the end causes more harm than good due to the pressure it places on individuals. Many people have learned this lesson and home ownership may begin to decline in the future.

Word Count: 293

Analysis

1. Many people today value owning their own home over renting. 2. In my opinion, this is part of a natural human desire for security and prestige but it contains risks.

  1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
  2. Write a clear opinion – choose a side and don’t sit in the middle or you risk a band 5 for task achievement.

1. The source of this desire is a need for stability and respect. 2. An individual who does not own their own home must pay rent to a landlord. 3. This hangs over them and necessitates maintaining a job with a steady salary and balancing rent against other living expenses. 4. Once a person owns their own home, they are then able to spend their money more freely and consider different employment without the fear of becoming homeless. 5. Moreover, having a home lends an air of respectability. 6. Only the wealthy are able buy a house and most homeowners take pride in the size and condition of their home as a sign of their social standing.

  1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
  2. Here I use a hypothetical example to develop my main idea.
  3. Continue the example.
  4. Use specific ideas to support your argument.
  5. If you have a second main idea, switch over to it.
  6. Develop your second main idea fully.

1. Nonetheless, home ownership is a negative trend as it forces unrealistic expectations on millions. 2. Most people live in city apartments with rents and are not capable of buying a house. 3. The pressure to buy one is likely to engender feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards the upper classes. 4. This famously fueled the sub-prime mortgage scandals of the early 2000s in the United States when millions borrowed more than they could afford to buy homes, then defaulted on their payments and lost a lifetime of investment. 5. Had these same people opted to rent, they would have saved more money and could have invested in other forms of capital such as the stock market.

  1. Write another topic sentence with a new main idea.
  2. Explain your main idea.
  3. Develop it with a logical argument or an example.
  4. Use specific examples.
  5. State the conclusions/results of your example.

1. In conclusion, owning a home is innately desirable but in the end causes more harm than good due to the pressure it places on individuals. 2. Many people have learned this lesson and home ownership may begin to decline in the future.

  1. Repeat your opinion and summarise your main ideas.
  2. Finish summarising and add a final thought for full marks from the IELTS examiner.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

Many people today value owning their own home over renting. In my opinion, this is part of a natural human desire for security and prestige but it contains risks.

The source of this desire is a need for stability and respect. An individual who does not own their own home must pay rent to a landlord. This hangs over them and necessitates maintaining a job with a steady salary and balancing rent against other living expenses. Once a person owns their own home, they are then able to spend their money more freely and consider different employment without the fear of becoming homeless. Moreover, having a home lends an air of respectability. Only the wealthy are able buy a house and most homeowners take pride in the size and condition of their home as a sign of their social standing.

Nonetheless, home ownership is a negative trend as it forces unrealistic expectations on millions. Most people live in city apartments with rents and are not capable of buying a house. The pressure to buy one is likely to engender feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards the upper classes. This famously fueled the sub-prime mortgage scandals of the early 2000s in the United States when millions borrowed more than they could afford to buy homes, then defaulted on their payments and lost a lifetime of investment. Had these same people opted to rent, they would have saved more money and could have invested in other forms of capital such as the stock market.

In conclusion, owning a home is innately desirable but in the end causes more harm than good due to the pressure it places on individuals. Many people have learned this lesson and home ownership may begin to decline in the future.

Answers

renting paying monthly for

part of a piece of

natural human desire inherent to what people want

security safety

prestige respect/admiration

contains risks is dangerous

stability secure

respect admiration

pay rent give monthly money for

hangs over them oppresses them

necessitates maintaining a job must stay employed

steady salary consistent money each month

balancing moderating

living expenses money spent on food, travel, entertainment, etc.

spend their money more freely buy whatever they want

consider think about

homeless living on the streets

lends an air of respectability makes one seem important

homeowners people who have a house

pride self-esteem

condition how things are

sign signal, representation

social standing how others view you

forces unrealistic expectations makes people try to live up an image

city apartments apartment blocks

not capable can’t

engender feelings make them feel

inadequacy feeling not good enough

resentment antipathy towards

upper classes rich people

famously fueled notoriously was the source of

sub-prime mortgage scandals people not being able to pay for their homes

early 2000s 2000-2010

borrowed took money they have to pay back later

afford be able to buy

defaulted were not able to pay back

lifetime of investment entire life of putting money into

invested putting money into

capital money

stock market Wall Street, trading companies publicly

innately desirable naturally want

in the end finally

more harm than good hurts more than helps

decline decrease

Pronunciation

Listen and repeat:

ˈrɛntɪŋ
pɑːt ɒv 
ˈnæʧrəl ˈhjuːmən dɪˈzaɪə 
sɪˈkjʊərɪti 
prɛsˈtiːʒ 
kənˈteɪnz rɪsks
stəˈbɪlɪti 
rɪsˈpɛkt
peɪ rɛnt 
hæŋz ˈəʊvə ðɛm 
nɪˈsɛsɪteɪts meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ ə ʤɒb 
ˈstɛdi ˈsæləri 
ˈbælənsɪŋ 
ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪksˈpɛnsɪz
spɛnd ðeə ˈmʌni mɔː ˈfriːli 
kənˈsɪdə
ˈhəʊmlɪs
lɛndz ən eər ɒv rɪsˌpɛktəˈbɪlɪti
həʊmˈəʊnəz 
praɪd 
kənˈdɪʃən 
saɪn 
ˈsəʊʃəl ˈstændɪŋ
ˈfɔːsɪz ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz 
ˈsɪti əˈpɑːtmənts 
nɒt ˈkeɪpəbl 
ɪnˈʤɛndə ˈfiːlɪŋz 
ɪnˈædɪkwəsi 
rɪˈzɛntmənt 
ˈʌpə ˈklɑːsɪz
ˈfeɪməsli fjʊəld 
sʌb-praɪm ˈmɔːgɪʤ ˈskændlz 
ˈɜːli  tuː ˈθaʊzəndz 
ˈbɒrəʊd 
əˈfɔːd 
dɪˈfɔːltɪd 
ˈlaɪftaɪm ɒv ɪnˈvɛstmənt
ɪnˈvɛstɪd 
ˈkæpɪtl 
stɒk ˈmɑːkɪt
ɪˈneɪtli dɪˈzaɪərəbl 
ɪn ði ɛnd 
mɔː hɑːm ðæn gʊd 
dɪˈklaɪn 

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

Many people today value owning their own home over r___________g. In my opinion, this is p_________f a n______________________e for s___________y and p___________e but it c_________________s.

The source of this desire is a need for s_____________y and r____________t. An individual who does not own their own home must p___________t to a landlord. This h___________________m and n_____________________________b with a s___________________y and b_____________g rent against other l__________________________s. Once a person owns their own home, they are then able to s_________________________________y and c_____________r different employment without the fear of becoming h_____________s. Moreover, having a home l________________________________________y. Only the wealthy are able buy a house and most h_______________________s take p_________e in the size and c___________________n of their home as a s________n of their s_______________________g.

Nonetheless, home ownership is a negative trend as it f________________________________s on millions. Most people live in c____________________________s with rents and are n_________________e of buying a house. The pressure to buy one is likely to e____________________s of i_____________________y and r________________t towards the u_________________s. This f__________________d the s____________________________s of the e__________________s in the United States when millions b_________________d more than they could a____________d to buy homes, then d________________d on their payments and lost a l_______________________t. Had these same people opted to rent, they would have saved more money and could have i_________________d in other forms of c_______________l such as the s___________________t.

In conclusion, owning a home is i_______________________e but i__________________d causes m_________________________d due to the pressure it places on individuals. Many people have learned this lesson and home ownership may begin to d_____________e in the future.

Listen and check:

Listening Practice

Learn about the 2008 financial crisis below:

Reading Practice

Read below about why millenials can’t afford to buy homes:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/06/why-millennials-cant-afford-buy-house/591532/

Speaking Practice

Answer the following questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Where you Live

Did you like the house you grew up in?

What was your favourite area of the house you grew up in?

How do you want to live in the future?

Real IELTS Speaking Exam

Writing Practice

Write about the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:

There are severe social consequences to housing shortages in cities and only the government can solve these problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Real Past IELTS Exam

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