Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-07
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)
It is often argued that to access more homes in urban communities, the government has to build skyscrapers in these areas. I completely disagree with this view because by time there will be a disaster due to crowdness in urban cities. Moreover, the government should encourage people to invade the rural areas to be inhabitants there and ensure the higher standards of living.
The primary reason for my opinion is that during the near future, this idea cannot be applicable anymore. This is mainly because of the complete capacity that these cities will suffer from. A good example of this is Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Thought the last decade, there are a lot of projects concerning building new compounds inside the main town, but now the intention goes to construct new cities outside the capital, like the 5th settlement, Shorouk, Rehab, ...etc. As a result, the most innovative and durable thing that government should think of it to go outside the large cities.
Another important reason is that the rural areas nowadays suffer from low standards of living, such as food, water, ...etc. Therefore, governments should play a more active role by investing in effective public services. As a result, individuals are more likely to enjoy a higher standard of living. For instance, if any rural area has what people ask for, as modern education, professional healthcare, supportive society, ... etc., it will definitely reflect positively on the inhabitance of people there. Therefore, governments should do their best to invest in these areas.
Taking everything into consideration, I firmly believe that it is an extremely good idea for the future depart the large cities. This is mainly because the congesion in the capitals and we should search for alternatives. Furthermore, we have to invest more in other rural areas to be equiped with a good standards of living.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against tall apartment blocks. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you mention Cairo as an example, the link between 'tall buildings' and 'crowdedness' is asserted rather than fully explained. The suggestion to 'invade' rural areas is a bit underdeveloped and lacks a nuanced discussion of the potential environmental or economic consequences of such a strategy. To improve, ensure that your arguments directly address the prompt's premise—the efficiency of high-density housing—rather than shifting the focus entirely to rural development. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments need more depth and logical connection to the specific topic of urban housing solutions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'The primary reason', and 'Taking everything into consideration' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the use of '...etc.' is inappropriate for formal academic writing. Additionally, the referencing in the final paragraph ('the future depart the large cities') is grammatically unclear, which disrupts the flow of your conclusion. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one without relying on repetitive structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. You use some basic or slightly inaccurate phrasing, such as 'invade the rural areas' (which has a negative connotation) and 'inhabitance of people'. The use of '...etc.' should be avoided in IELTS essays; instead, use phrases like 'and other essential services'. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban communities' and 'public services', the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more precise academic synonyms to express your ideas more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'by time there will be a disaster', 'Thought the last decade', and 'to be equiped with a good standards'. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and proofreading for common slips in tense and word form.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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