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)

Housing is the main necessity to everyone. Some people argue that provide enough houses in urban areas is to construct tall apartment blocks is the best approach. I completely agree with this view because it provides much space and more convince to people who lives there.

On the one hand, global population is increasing very rapidly, and they need space for making shelter. Moreover, providing houses for all the people is a bit challenging, so constructing apartment blocks and skyscraper buildings will have several benefits. In addition, these provides more space and this can be utilized by other purposes. However, these buildings will be more height and tall which assist the persons to access everything easily by near shops. Also, these apartments will provide more facilities such as doorstep delivery and other facilities. Addition to that, it improves relations between neighbors, and this can improve strong relations. For instance, skyscraper buildings will occupy less space, and this space can be utilized by constructing parks or other purposes. Therefore, tall apartment blocks cover less space and provides many facilities to the people.

On the other hand, skyscraper buildings will have some disadvantages, which have significant impact on people. Furthermore, these buildings will sometimes have power issues, so the use of lifts might not be working as a result people will be using staircase instead. Moreover, these buildings will consume more water to maintain as well as they might misuse these water facilities. On top of that, sudden weather changes such as an earthquake or a tsunami will greatly disturb the infrastructure of the building and also it generates a threat to people's lives. Hence, sometimes tall apartment buildings will affect people's lives.

In conclusion, although skyscraper buildings create disturbances like power failure and misuse of water and also it will get effected by natural calamities, the benefits such as the usage of less space, and provides convenience like doorstep delivery and others.

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 superficial. For example, the argument regarding 'doorstep delivery' as a primary benefit of tall buildings is not strongly linked to the core issue of housing shortages. While the response covers both sides of the argument, the supporting points are often repetitive or lack depth. To reach a higher band, you should focus on providing more detailed explanations and specific examples that directly relate to urban planning and housing density rather than general amenities.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Addition to that,' and the referencing is occasionally unclear. The flow between sentences is generally functional, but the essay would benefit from a more varied use of linking words to improve the overall cohesion and make the connections between arguments more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'buildings,' 'space,' and 'facilities.' Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'more convince' instead of 'convenience' and 'these buildings will be more height' instead of 'taller.' To improve, you should aim to use more academic collocations and precise terminology related to urban development, such as 'high-density housing,' 'urban sprawl,' or 'infrastructure capacity.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('these provides,' 'people who lives') and incorrect word forms ('it will get effected'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the response from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed accurately.

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

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