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)

Nowadays, dwellings is a great debate around the globe; therefore, it is argued by some sectors of society that the administration should construct skyscrapers or tall buildings, so that residence issues should be lessen, while others argue that this approach is not reasonable, there are some other factors, that matters. Both approaches have their own importance, but ultimately, I am convinced over tall buildings for residence and acknowledge that this aspect and view is far more substantial and more realistic.

As the residence in urban areas has become very crucial. Specifically, in developing countries it is a great concern. As a matter of fact, the dwelling is bare necessity in our day to day life, if it is not provided fairly, then this might cause serious problems. For instance, in Lahore the houses are really congested, people are forced to live in two marla, 3 marla houses. Consequently, the government is planning to redesign the infrastructure and construct new tall buildings for residency in order to increase the living standard of citizens and take control over this matter.

This aspect would be beneficial for both, i.e., the government and the citizens. It would decrease the residence issue in big cities and also would be very beneficial in terms of cost. For instance, if the committee constructed a 50 floor building, it can provide housing for 3,500 people who previously lived in separate households.

In conclusion, despite the valid concerns raised by opponents regarding some other factors, I am still convinced about the overarching benefits of tall buildings are more substantial.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the benefits of tall buildings regarding cost and space, the 'other factors' mentioned in the introduction are never explicitly identified or discussed, which leaves the argument feeling slightly one-sided. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed exploration of the counter-arguments or expand on the social and environmental implications of high-rise living beyond just the capacity for housing. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and could have been used to better synthesize the main points presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'consequently', 'for instance', and 'in conclusion', to link sentences. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition in the first paragraph. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack smooth flow, particularly in the opening paragraph where the sentence structure is quite complex and slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'infrastructure', 'residency', and 'congested', but there are also instances of awkward word choices, such as 'residence issues should be lessen' (should be 'lessened') and 'dwellings is a great debate'. Some phrases are repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'residence' and 'aspect'. To improve, focus on using more varied collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'dwellings is a great debate' has a subject-verb agreement error, and 'residence issues should be lessen' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with punctuation and sentence boundaries, such as comma splices in the first paragraph. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice would be beneficial.

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

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