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)

Lately the issue of housing shortages in major urban cities has become a hot topic for debate. The government states most active way to solve this case is to build multi-story residential buildings. In my opinion alternative solutions are not impactful as much as this solution, so i strongly agree with this statement.

Other approaches, such as urban expansion into the surrounding countryside, present significant drawbacks. Rural development requires vast amounts of stable, suitable land that meets strict safety and engineering standards. For instance, developing on unstable ground—such as areas affected by permafrost—can lead to severe structural collapse or long-term environmental degradation. Additionally, suburban sprawl necessitates heavy investment in transportation infrastructure and public utility networks, placing a far greater financial burden on local governments than constructing urban apartments.

On the other hand, constructing multi-story apartment blocks offers clear advantages in tackling modern urban density. Firstly, high-rise buildings maximize limited city space by expanding vertically, allowing to accommodate thousands of residents without consuming scarce land. Secondly, concentrating populations in central areas optimizes existing public infrastructure, such as water supply, electricity, and public transit networks, thereby reducing overall public expenditure.

In conclusion, while alternative strategies like urban expansion attempt to address housing shortages, they often suffer from geological constraints and excessive infrastructure costs. Therefore, I firmly believe that high-rise residential development remains the most practical and efficient long-term strategy for providing adequate housing in growing cities."

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. However, the response is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas regarding urban density and infrastructure costs are relevant and well-supported, the brevity prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop all parts of the task to the level required for a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your examples or add a counter-argument paragraph to ensure you meet the word count requirement and provide a more comprehensive analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' is effective. Each paragraph has a clear central topic. However, the transitions between some sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is sound, which helps the reader navigate your argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for an academic essay, using terms like 'urban density', 'environmental degradation', and 'infrastructure'. There is some evidence of less common lexical items used with reasonable precision. However, there are minor issues with word choice, such as 'states most active way' (should be 'states that the most effective way') and 'not impactful as much as' (should be 'not as impactful as'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'allowing to accommodate' (should be 'allowing cities to accommodate') and the lowercase 'i' in the introduction. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence structures are varied enough to convey complex ideas. While there are occasional errors, they are not frequent enough to cause confusion. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the use of infinitive and gerund phrases.

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

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