Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-09

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 recent years, the question of whether building tall apartment blocks would provide shelter to many in large cities has emerged as a subject of intense debate. i equivocally agree with this proposition as it is best way keep people emotionally connected, and i further contend that it is safer as well.

Firstly, building apartment blocks will lead to reduce the problem for the people to search for land and build, which would cause them a large sum of money. In apartments many flats can be built and it will not rise a problem regarding space for roads and other facilities. For instance, countries which consist of large population cannot afford to live in individual houses due to the cost of land and their require finance to construct a house to live in, so it is better to opt for apartment.

Secondly, large apartments blocks are safer as many people live and the security issues can be eased. Moreover, many apartments provide enormous facilities like gym, convenience store , vegetables shop, swimming pool. For example, people who live in individual house tend to face a lot of robbery and safety issues as they have no security available and neighbors are far away to help them when its required, in contrast in large blocks of buildings cameras are fixed and security for 24hrs and cheaper way to live in without going bankrupt.

In conclusion, i firmly maintain that the best way to provide homes to people in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks by not ignoring the number of floors and weight on land, which might result in accidents.

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 cost-efficiency and security. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument about 'emotional connection' mentioned in the introduction is not explored in the body paragraphs. The conclusion introduces a new, slightly contradictory point about 'weight on land' and 'accidents' which is not supported by the previous arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point mentioned in the introduction is fully developed in the body and avoid introducing new, unexamined ideas in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'For instance' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'their require finance' which lacks a clear antecedent. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words beyond basic sequencing markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'proposition', 'facilities', and 'security issues'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'reduce the problem for the people to search for land' and 'their require finance'. The range is somewhat limited, and the repetition of basic words like 'apartment' and 'house' suggests a need for more varied synonyms and more precise academic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles, subject-verb agreement, and word order (e.g., 'it is best way keep', 'it will not rise a problem', and 'in contrast in large blocks'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and inconsistent capitalization of 'i'. These errors are noticeable but do not completely impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic sentence construction and article usage.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.