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)

In big cities, housing is generally the main concern for most families and individuals, therefore providing adequate number of homes by constructing tall apartment blocks is apt. And I agree to a certain extent as everyone needs a place to reside in and have a roof on top of their head, however, increase in number of housing would mean deforestation and negative impact on the livelihood of the wildlife species.

One of the reason of having a house in large cities is that it enables job seekers from commuting from distant places to cut down on their transport expenses and live peacefully in the houses located close to their workplace. For instance, a family man who travels from a far of place to his office regularly, has to worry to about reaching home on time and be their for his family, but if he has a home close to his office, living life can be a lot more easier for him and his family. Therefore, if there are enough homes available in the city, it can enhance the work and personal life situation.

On the other hand, rise in the number of houses in the city can hinder the shelter places of wild animals who live in the forest, as building homes would mean acquiring these forest areas. As a matter of fact, frequent cutting of trees and building homes have provoked wildlife to break into the houses of individuals. Thus, the apartment blocks should be constructed in a way that it does not hamper the homes of wild creatures.

To sum up, I would say that building apartment blocks is the right method to provide enough shelter homes, however, it is crucial to keep in mind that this method does not have a significant impact on the wild animals living in the forest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits of tall apartment blocks and the environmental drawbacks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The argument regarding job seekers is clear, but the environmental point is slightly underdeveloped, focusing on a general concern rather than specific urban planning solutions. The position is clear throughout, though the conclusion could be more nuanced to fully address the 'to what extent' aspect of the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides more depth, perhaps by contrasting the necessity of housing with sustainable urban development strategies like 'green' architecture or vertical forests.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'Thus' are used, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, although the link between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother. Referencing is mostly accurate, but there are minor instances where the flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure to better connect the ideas within paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'hamper' and 'adequate', which are used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'a far of place' (should be 'a far-off place') and 'shelter places' (which is redundant). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more sophisticated or precise academic vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band. The repetition of 'homes' and 'houses' also limits the lexical variety.

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 'One of the reason' (should be 'reasons'), 'be their for his family' (should be 'be there'), and 'living life can be a lot more easier' (should be 'much easier'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and minor errors in article usage. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage would significantly improve the accuracy.

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

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