Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10
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 has been observed that, the best way to provide enough homes in big cities is to build tall apartment blocks. Although some people believe that people should build less apartments in bigger cities. I agree the given statement to a large extent. My inclination is elaborated in ensuring paragraph and relevant examples.
The foremost argument to justify my stand is that if we build more skyscrapers the population will fit into the city, because some large cities' population can't fit. For instance, they can work near the city centre too they don't have to use public or private transportation. Besides this, It is also true that people like to live in a large cities especially in a tall apartment, because the view from the apartment is unforgettable. For example, Sydney has many skyscrapers and apartments because of this the happiness level of Sydney is higher than other countries. The percentage was around 80% of them were happy. The surroundings also impact on this but the most of people mentioned the view of their homes.
Furthermore, another reason to support my view is that tall apartment blocks can reduce urban expansion. If cities continue building low-rise houses, they will require much more land. By constructing vertically, governments can preserve land for parks, roads and other public facilities. Therefore, high-rise apartments are an effective solution to housing problems in large cities.
In conclusion, although tall apartment blocks may have some disadvantages, I believe they are one of the most effective ways to provide enough housing in large cities because they accommodate more people and use limited land efficiently.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 population density and land preservation. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding 'happiness levels' in Sydney is anecdotal and lacks a clear logical link to the prompt, making the support feel superficial. While the main points are clear, they could be extended with more sophisticated reasoning or specific examples of urban planning. The conclusion effectively summarizes the position, but the overall development remains at a Band 6 level because the arguments are somewhat simplistic and lack depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The foremost argument', 'Besides this', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'My inclination is elaborated in ensuring paragraph'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for instance, the connection between the Sydney example and the broader argument about housing is tenuous. The progression of ideas is logical, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to reach a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their opinion clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban expansion', 'skyscrapers', and 'low-rise houses'. However, the range is limited, and there is some repetition of basic words like 'big' and 'large'. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'ensuring paragraph' (likely meant 'ensuing') and 'happiness level of Sydney'. To improve, the writer should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and varied synonyms to avoid repetitive 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, such as 'the best way to provide enough homes in big cities is to build tall apartment blocks' (missing article usage), 'people should build less apartments' (should be 'fewer'), and 'The surroundings also impact on this' (unnecessary preposition). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors with commas and sentence boundaries. The control of grammar is sufficient for communication, but the frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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