Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06

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)

Tall apartment blocks have became the most prevalent feature of the urbanization. I do agree that they are the efficient solution for providing homes to citizens of metro cities. As the cities are developing, more and more people migrate here and that leads to a provision of homes to all of them. Keeping in mind, the square feet area required for all these residential requirements, the only feasible solution is to increase the length of the buildings rather than its spread.

A 15-20 storey building can accommodate a really large number of families. In addition to that, the apartments also provide a lot of facilities to their residents. Amenities like swimming pool, club house, playground, gym, theater, banquet hall and gardens keep the residents feel lively and helps them enjoy many services outside of their door step only.

Small and expanded blocks often take a lot of space and in comparison to the tall buildings, they often accommodate a very less number of people. So it is not really a good idea to have small and wide apartments in large cities.

The metro cities are always expanding and developing. A lot of commercial buildings and recreational amenities are always being developed at these places, So, these type of infrastructure takes up more area of the large cities. And it is also essential as these infrastructures help the citizens in earning for themselves. So to reduce these buildings is not an option in the big cities.

Thus, the most efficient and feasible option seems to be the tall apartment schemes being introduced in the metro cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, focusing on space efficiency and the inclusion of amenities. However, the development is somewhat limited; while you mention that tall buildings accommodate more people, the argument could be strengthened by discussing potential drawbacks or counter-arguments to provide a more balanced and nuanced perspective. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance, but the overall depth of the analysis remains at a basic level, preventing it from reaching the higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In addition to that', 'So', 'Thus'). While the paragraphing is appropriate, the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels a bit formulaic, which limits the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'prevalent', 'urbanization', 'feasible', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'provision of homes to all of them' and 'keep the residents feel lively'. Additionally, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, like 'outside of their door step only'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive, simple vocabulary. The range is sufficient to communicate your ideas clearly, but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'have became' (should be 'have become'), 'the urbanization' (unnecessary article), and 'these type of infrastructure' (should be 'this type of infrastructure'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You show an attempt at complex sentences, but control over these structures is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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