Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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)

Some people argue that the most effective way to provide sufficient housing in big cities is by constructing high rise apartment buildings . I agree to a certain extent that in urban areas this strategy is effective but there are other strategies that should be used to meet the demand of housing .

Firstly, high-rise buildings are built vertically, which helps solve a major issue in urban areas: the shortage of land. They occupy less land and can accommodate more people compared to individual houses. Therefore, they help meet the demand for housing while also making better use of scarce land.

However, high-rise buildings require large amounts of financial investment and other resources like labor and raw materials which require more time to arrange ,making it less efficient for solving urgent housing crises in cities .Any issues in arranging the resources required would lead to further delays damaging the ability to provide housing in such cities .Furthermore, families are required to adjust to smaller apartment blocks which leads to a lower quality of life . As even though high rise buildings may have higher number of apartments ,the space itself may not be enough for a large family to live comfortably raising concerns of whether it is the best way for living in cities .

In conclusion , construction of high-rise buildings is an effective measure to help address the housing issues in cities given the utilization of minimum land and providing maximum housing for citizens . However it is not the only measure which should be adopted .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of high-rise buildings. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that high-rise buildings require significant resources, you could have provided a more concrete example or a more detailed explanation of why this is a barrier compared to other housing solutions. The conclusion is a bit brief and simply restates the introduction without adding a final synthesis of your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is supported by a specific example or a more thorough exploration of the consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the paragraphing is appropriate, though the second body paragraph is quite dense and could have been split to better separate the point about resource management from the point about quality of life. Overall, the flow of ideas is easy to follow, and the referencing is generally accurate throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban areas', 'scarce land', and 'financial investment'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'housing' and 'cities'. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations or topic-specific synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated control of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Some people argue that...' and 'As even though high rise buildings may have higher number of apartments...'. While the meaning is always clear, there are some minor grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the' shortage of land) and punctuation issues, specifically spacing before commas. The majority of your sentences are error-free, but the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Increasing the variety of your sentence patterns and ensuring consistent control over articles and punctuation will help you achieve a higher band.

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