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)

Recently, there has been a growing concern about the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. I strongly, agree that the most effective method to ensure that they are enough houses in the city is to build tall building apartment because the room it contain will plenty enough to contain large number of people, and it will also minimize the usage of space.

firstly, when tall buildings are built in cities, this building will be able to accommodate large amount of people because of the number of rooms it contains. For example, the China government has invested in building tall building in its cities in other to make homes available for citizen. Therefore, the availability of rooms in tall building apartment has helped to provide home for people living in large cities.

Secondly, building tall houses helps to manage space. when buildings are built upwards there will be enough space left for car parks and garden

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 158 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you state a clear position and provide two main arguments (accommodating more people and space efficiency), the ideas are underdeveloped. The example regarding China is vague and lacks sufficient detail to support your argument effectively. To improve, you must expand your points with more specific explanations, real-world examples, and a concluding paragraph that summarizes your position. The current length prevents a full exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'firstly' and 'secondly' to signal the structure, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the paragraphing is inconsistent, and the flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical. The final sentence is incomplete, ending abruptly without a full stop. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on using a wider range of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by well-developed supporting points. The lack of a conclusion also hinders the overall coherence of the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'tall building apartment' and 'large amount of people'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'room it contain will plenty enough'. To improve, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and housing, and ensure that your word choices are grammatically accurate in context. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetition and express your ideas more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I strongly, agree' (incorrect comma usage), 'they are enough houses' (should be 'there are'), and 'in other to' (should be 'in order to'). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, such as 'the room it contain'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction limits the score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

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

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