Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The best method to provide many houses to individuals in big cities is by constructing skyscrapers. From my point of view, I strongly believe that building very tall building blocks will provide many homes to people . As a result , saving alot of land ( effecient use of land ) and also making homes affordable.

Building skyscrapers will enable the population of a big city to use the land efficiently. This is because when a tall building of about 30 floors is constructed ,it may contain more than 500 apartments which can accomodate nearly more than 1000 people. For instance , a big city like Istanbul is a typical example of skyscrapers everywhere.

Moreover, constructing very tall buildings will make homes cheaper for the individuals living in a big city. This is because life in a big city is first of all expensive and not everyone has the financial means to stay and live in a flat hence, making tall buildings an affordable place to live in a big city .

To conclude , constructing tall buildings will both save cost and land hence, providing more homes to people in a large city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you strongly support tall apartment blocks, and you give two relevant reasons—using land efficiently and making housing more affordable. The example of a 30-floor building with over 500 apartments helps illustrate the first point. However, the response addresses the task only partially because both reasons are briefly asserted rather than fully explained, and the Istanbul example (“skyscrapers everywhere”) does not show how this approach provides enough homes. The affordability claim also needs support explaining how building height reduces costs for residents. The response is 56 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your reasoning. Extend each main point with explanation and a specific, relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “For instance,” and “To conclude” help signal these stages. However, some connections feel mechanical, and the conclusion largely repeats the introduction rather than drawing the reasoning together. The first body paragraph moves from the number of apartments to Istanbul without explaining the link between the example and the claim. In the second, the relationship between high city living costs and tall buildings making homes cheaper is not fully established. Develop clearer links between each claim, its explanation, and its example, while varying how you connect ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “skyscrapers,” “apartments,” “population,” “financial means,” and “affordable.” These choices make your main ideas understandable. However, the range is limited and some wording is repetitive, particularly “big city,” “tall buildings,” and “homes.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as “alot,” “effecient,” and “accomodate,” and the phrase “an affordable place to live” is not quite natural in this context. Aim for more precise housing and urban-planning vocabulary, and check spelling carefully. Using alternatives such as “high-rise apartment blocks,” “urban land,” and “housing costs” would help you express the same ideas more accurately and flexibly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “This is because” and a relative clause in “a tall building … which can contain…”. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are evident. For example, “building very tall building blocks” has a number-agreement problem, while “when a tall building … is constructed, it may contain” needs more careful punctuation and spacing. The opening fragment, “As a result, saving…,” is not a complete sentence, and the final body sentence beginning “This is because life…” becomes difficult to follow because several ideas are joined together. Practise writing complete sentences and controlling clauses, articles, and punctuation; this will make your reasoning clearer.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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