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)

In many large cities, increase in population demand more housing schemes for living better life. Some people argue that

building tall apartment blocks can overcome the problem of shortage of houses. I partly agree with that because some other ways can be used to provide enough home. And not all people prefer living apartment block due to some reasons.

To begin with, some individuals suggest that buildings tall apartment blocks is efficient way to fulfill the increasing house demand because of increasing population. For instance, metropolitan cities such as New York and Dubai constructs large heighted buildings and making apartment block for families. These are convenient by providing various facilities such as security system, elevators and parking areas, which enhance the quality of life of residents. Therefore, high rise houses are efficient as well as convenient in this way.

On the other hand, solely rely on tall buildings can led to many problems. Firstly overcrowded place which built a pressure to fulfill needs such as water supply, transportation sometimes no space in parking areas cause disturbance. Secondly, living in such areas may effect individuals mental and physical well being due to limited outdoor places and very less interaction with people. For instance families with children find no safe place for playing. Moreover, many people prefer living in private house with more space for playing and they prefer outdoor places in house such as garden for sitting and walking to relax. They also value their privacy so they need separate home for living.

In conclusion, although tall apartment blocks are an effective way to provide housing in large cities, they should not be considered the only solution. A balanced approach that includes a mix of housing types and proper urban planning is essential to ensure sustainable and comfortable living conditions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position that acknowledges the benefits of tall apartment blocks while arguing for a balanced approach. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported. For instance, you provide specific examples like New York and Dubai to support the efficiency of high-rise living, and you offer logical counter-arguments regarding infrastructure pressure and psychological well-being. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting points are fully extended; for example, when mentioning the 'pressure to fulfill needs' in cities, you could briefly explain how this specifically impacts the quality of life beyond just mentioning 'disturbance'. Overall, the position is consistent and the task is addressed effectively.

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 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the phrase 'solely rely on tall buildings can led to' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion of the sentence. Additionally, the paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal structure of the second body paragraph could be improved by ensuring that each sentence flows more naturally into the next. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'metropolitan', 'sustainable', and 'urban planning'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations that limit the precision of your writing. For example, you use 'large heighted buildings' instead of 'high-rise buildings' and 'effect' instead of 'affect'. Additionally, phrases like 'increase in population demand' should be 'an increase in population demands'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more attention to collocations and word forms to achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. For example, 'building tall apartment blocks is efficient way' should be 'building tall apartment blocks is an efficient way', and 'solely rely on tall buildings can led to' contains both a verb form error and a tense error. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of your main points. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct verb tenses.

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