Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05
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 excellent way to provide adequate number of houses in big towns is to construct sky scrapers. I firmly agree with this phenomenon that high rise buildings can accommodate many people while using a limited land.
To embark on, land is the basic necessity of humans. Deforestation take place on large scale to set up industries, homes and make other buildings for humans. So, is high rise buildings can take place many people at one place live comfortably and also too much land is saved for other uses. Traditional houses cover many space for two or three persons while if at that place apartments or flats will take place so, many live there. Also, it increases your standard in the society.
Furthermore, high-rise apartments can improve urban planning and reduce living costs. When many people live in one building, it is easier and cheaper to provide public services such as transport, electricity, and water. In addition, residents can enjoy shared facilities like parking areas, parks, gyms, and security systems. For example, cities such as Singapore have successfully used apartment blocks to provide affordable and well-organised housing for millions of people.
On the flip side, there are some cons that flats or apartments provide limited space. After sometime, people feel suffocated because there is only two or three rooms a balcony and washrooms with a kitchen. If, a person live in a home they have a full freedom to live also in the house there are many rooms, washrooms garden kitchen and many more. But in flats you are stuck and have to maintain discipline and follow their rules.
To recapitulate, after contemplating over a huge accord of thoughts and speculation, I have come to the decision that high rise buildings are best to live and also to save land and use that land for other uses.
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 high-rise buildings. The ideas are relevant, such as land conservation and urban efficiency. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the second paragraph provides a good example (Singapore), the discussion regarding the 'cons' of apartment living in the fourth paragraph is slightly underdeveloped and drifts into personal opinion rather than focusing on the broader urban planning implications. To reach a higher band, ensure that all arguments are balanced and directly linked to the core issue of providing housing in large cities.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To embark on', 'Furthermore', and 'On the flip side'. However, some of these transitions are used incorrectly or sound unnatural (e.g., 'To embark on' is not a standard way to start a paragraph). Additionally, some sentences lack smooth flow, such as the transition between the discussion of land use and the mention of social status. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will enhance the overall logical progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'contemplating' and 'recapitulate', though these are sometimes used in slightly awkward contexts. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'adequate number of houses' (should be 'housing') and 'take place many people' (should be 'accommodate many people'). Expanding the range of collocations related to urban development would help elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'Deforestation take place' (subject-verb agreement), 'is high rise buildings can take place many people' (incorrect sentence structure), and 'If, a person live' (unnecessary comma and verb agreement). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and sentence construction will be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.