Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-04
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)
In recent years, many countries have been trying to build homes in large cities, but this can create overcrowding and make life harder for the people who live in cities. The best way to provide homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. Building tall apartments can make it easier for individuals without creating overcrowding. This essay will argue that I strongly agree with this statement.
To begin with, many authorities are trying to build many homes in large cities, but instead of building homes in the cities they should build tall apartment blocks. In this way they can reduce overcrowding in the cities. For example, in Switzerland a large number of people are building homes in the large cities, but after some years they faced overcrowding, to prevent this problem the main authorities build tall apartments. By this idea the problem of overcrowding has been reduced.
Furthermore, the building of tall apartments can make the people more effective in lives by making the daily routine more easy. In this way many of the tourists want to live in place as a result making tall apartments can increase the economic growth of the country by introducing good infrastructure and excellent view from the apartment. For instance, in India there are many beautiful places with tall apartments that can attract many tourists.
In conclusion, building of tall apartments instead of constructing homes can make the city more crowded. As a result, building tall apartments can benefit some countries, that is they can attract many tourists to the country and make profits from them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is limited and somewhat repetitive. While you mention overcrowding and economic growth, the arguments lack depth and specific evidence. For instance, the example regarding Switzerland is vague and does not clearly explain how tall apartments specifically solved the overcrowding issue. Furthermore, the conclusion contradicts the body paragraphs by stating that building tall apartments 'can make the city more crowded,' which undermines your overall argument. To improve, ensure that your supporting points directly relate to your thesis and provide more detailed explanations of how your proposed solution functions in a real-world context.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by logical gaps. For example, the link between 'tall apartments' and 'tourists' in the second body paragraph is not well-explained, making the argument feel disjointed. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the internal logic within paragraphs could be tightened to ensure that each sentence builds effectively upon the previous one rather than simply restating the main point.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'build many homes' and 'tall apartment blocks,' throughout the text. There are also some instances of awkward collocation, such as 'make the people more effective in lives' and 'make the daily routine more easy.' To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and socioeconomic impacts, and focus on using words in their correct collocations to convey your meaning more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'By this idea the problem... has been reduced' (should be 'Through this approach') and 'building of tall apartments' (should be 'the building of'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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