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)

Some people argue that it is the best way to build tall apartment blocks rather than homes in big cities to provide space. This essay discusses the view both in positive or negative ways.

In my view, I partially agree of this statement. Nowadays, big cities face many serious issues including traffic congestion, better housing opportunities, healthcare facilities and pollution. The most common problems in big cities are less space for homes due to overloaded population.

Additionally, due to increasing this viral issue, many modern housing towns are fill and provide less space for living there.

On the on hand, I agree this solution to build apartment blocks because it has multiple advantages. For instance, apartments of flats have many positive aspects such as it covers less space and provides facilities for many families to living their under one roof. It is also creates friendly environment.

Moreover, the main issue of raising this problem is that many families belong to small town or villages move to urban areas to improve or enhance their standard of living. Due to this, the population increasing rapidly as well as pollution.

Another reason is that, many builders and construction companies build numerous housing societies without any legal permit. Many builders cutting a lots of trees to construct homes, shopping center or modern restaurants. So it creates many climate issues.

To sum up, I can say that there are many factors which are the main reason of less space in big cities. The government should take steps to provide better housing infrastructure especially for low income families. It is the good idea to transformed homes into tall apartments because it is the better way to live more families in apartment rather than homes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt but lacks a clear, consistent position. While you mention you 'partially agree', the development of ideas is somewhat disjointed. You touch upon the benefits of tall buildings, such as space efficiency, but the essay drifts into unrelated topics like illegal construction and deforestation, which do not directly support the argument for or against tall apartment blocks. To improve, ensure every paragraph directly relates to the prompt. For instance, instead of discussing illegal housing societies, focus on the social or economic implications of high-density living, such as the impact on community infrastructure or urban sprawl. The conclusion is relevant but could be more strongly linked to the initial thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow between ideas is often interrupted by awkward transitions and unclear referencing. Phrases like 'due to increasing this viral issue' are confusing and do not effectively link the previous sentence to the next. While you use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'On the one hand', and 'Moreover', they are sometimes used mechanically or incorrectly. The progression of ideas is not always smooth, making it difficult for the reader to follow your argument. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'big cities', 'good idea', and 'many'. There are also instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'modern housing towns are fill' and 'it is the better way to live more families'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning, such as 'high-density residential developments', 'urbanization', or 'infrastructure capacity'. Additionally, be careful with word forms, as there are several errors in subject-verb agreement and noun usage throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect verb forms ('it is creates', 'families to living their'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('I agree this solution to build'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in sentence construction that make some parts of the text difficult to parse. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex sentences while ensuring they are grammatically accurate will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

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