Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

I agree with it. In the order to provide enough homes in the large cities is to build tall apartment blocks because the tall apartments provide a benefit that we can rent out our ground floor in the city which will be helpful to afford a lot of the expenses in the big city as in the big city the prices of the products like groceries so if we have a small family in which there are few family members who can survive in the home or the apartment where there are 3-4 rooms and the ground floor is available then it can be rent out. It is the efficient way to survive in the big city if someone belongs to the middle class family because it will be helpful to bear a lot of expenses. In the big city we have too many expenses like we have to pay the bill of the sewerage also we have to pay the bill of the garbage collection in the city which is not being charged in the village so in the large cities our expenses always touch the sky so if we have to survive smartly in the large city then we can rent out our first floor or the ground floor and there is also one of the benefit in renting out the home is that we share the monthly expenses with the person who lived in our home. we create a good relationship with them which help in the further affairs of the life. I have rent out my home and the person who pay the bill to me is kind and humble person because he help me in my need this is my personal experience that if we are living in the big city then we should build the tall apartment blocks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by agreeing with the statement, but the development is limited and repetitive. The argument focuses almost exclusively on the personal financial benefit of renting out part of a home, rather than addressing the broader urban planning implications of building tall apartment blocks to solve housing shortages. The ideas are not extended to cover city infrastructure, population density, or sustainability, which are central to the prompt. Consequently, the response feels like a personal anecdote rather than an academic discussion. To improve, you should broaden your scope to include societal and economic perspectives beyond personal financial gain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks paragraphing, consisting of a single block of text which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. While there is a basic attempt to link sentences, the use of cohesive devices is repetitive and often mechanical (e.g., 'in the big city' is used repeatedly to start clauses). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between the initial agreement and the personal anecdote is abrupt. To reach a higher band, you must organize your response into clear paragraphs with a logical introduction, body, and conclusion, and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Phrases such as 'big city', 'expenses', and 'rent out' are used frequently throughout the text. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or an attempt to use precise academic vocabulary. Some collocations are awkward, such as 'expenses always touch the sky' or 'further affairs of the life'. To improve, you should aim to use more sophisticated synonyms and topic-specific vocabulary related to urban development, such as 'high-density housing', 'urban sprawl', or 'cost of living'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with article usage ('the large cities'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on, lacking proper punctuation to separate distinct thoughts, such as the long sentence beginning 'In the big city we have too many expenses...'. While simple sentences are generally understandable, the attempts at complex structures are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence punctuation and ensuring that your verb tenses remain consistent throughout the essay.

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

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