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)

With the ever growing population, the best way to accommodate the rising number of people seems to be building tall apartment blocks. I completely agree with this view because it is economical and houses a lot more people in a small area than short-story buildings.

One big advantage of high-rise building is its incredible efficiency with land and financial investments. A single tall apartment block can house hundreds of people while a shorter variant has trouble accommodating tens of people. Additionally, in urban areas such as cities, it is much more economical long-term to invest in high-rise apartment blocks due to its high density. This density then allows for amenities such as stores and hospitals to exist in much higher quantities all over the city, reducing communal times and increasing life quality. This also gives a significant financial boost which then allows for better and taller apartment blocks. Increasing the housing capacity of cities.

Furthermore, high-rise buildings are much likely to withstand the test of time and survive natural disasters because they are often up to standards and structurally stable. Consequently increasing the number of homes in the long run and reducing the amount of funding that goes into housing. In addition, this improved integrity also reduces the number of repairs that have to be conducted in various parts of a building such as the pipes and electrical lines. reducing the bills that have to go into repairs and providing more finances for housing.

In conclusion, i believe building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide enough homes in large cities because it is the most financially wise choice.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have clearly addressed the prompt and maintained a consistent position throughout the essay. Your arguments regarding land efficiency and structural stability are relevant and well-supported. However, the development of ideas could be more nuanced. For instance, you mention that high-rise buildings reduce 'communal times' (likely meaning commute times), but this point is not fully explained. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are more specific and that you address potential counter-arguments, such as the social or psychological impact of high-density living, to provide a more balanced and comprehensive exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Consequently' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where sentence structure impacts flow, such as the fragment 'Increasing the housing capacity of cities.' at the end of the second paragraph. To improve, focus on integrating these fragments into the preceding sentences and varying your cohesive devices to ensure a smoother progression of ideas between and within paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'economical,' 'high density,' and 'structurally stable' effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'short-story buildings' (should be 'low-rise') and 'communal times' (likely 'commuting times'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a higher level of sophistication and flexibility in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('high-rise building is its incredible efficiency' should be 'high-rise buildings are...') and punctuation errors, specifically the use of sentence fragments. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that all clauses are complete sentences rather than fragments.

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

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