Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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)

More often, it is debated that to provide enough living spaces in cities tall apartments blocks should be constructed. While it is admissible that it can limit people interaction with their neighbors that are living across each other. I could not find enough reasons to disagree with this statement owing a number of reasons which are to be discussed thoroughly.

The major reason, why I believe it would be beneficial for individuals who prefer to live in a city without expanding outwards. For example the population growth in karachi and lahore. As a matter of fact, the areas specified for green land and commercial spaces such as parks, gardens can be preserved rather than being converted into residential housing. Moreover, buildings vertically are more cost effective than constructing separate houses.

I also believe that tall apartments are often built in city centers that are close to school, job, hospitals reducing the need for traveling long distance. Furthermore, it also benefits the environment as it reduces the traffic and pollution. Many high rise apartments comes with shared elevators for elderly and disabled people, build in security and shared facilities such as gym, playgrounds, that individual houses can not have.

To conclude, supported by the explanations above, it is safe to state that shared spaces such as apartments can benefit citizens and they can also have access to more facilities such as shared electricity and vice versa, than having separate space. It is also a faster solution to urgent housing shortages, providing accommodation to the rapidly growing population.

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 urban planning, environmental benefits, and convenience. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The second paragraph introduces examples like Karachi and Lahore but does not fully explain how these specific cities benefit from high-rise living, leaving the argument slightly under-developed. The conclusion introduces new points, such as 'shared electricity,' which should have been integrated into the body paragraphs. Overall, the position is clear, but the depth of argumentation could be improved to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover,' 'Furthermore,' and 'To conclude,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'owing a number of reasons which are to be discussed thoroughly.' Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where 'vice versa' is used incorrectly to describe shared facilities. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the flow between sentences could be smoother to avoid a sense of disjointedness.

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 'residential housing,' 'cost-effective,' and 'urban planning' concepts. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'buildings vertically' instead of 'vertical buildings' or 'high rise apartments comes' (subject-verb agreement error). The range is sufficient to communicate, but the lack of more sophisticated or precise academic vocabulary limits the score to the 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include sentence fragments like 'For example the population growth in karachi and lahore,' and subject-verb agreement issues such as 'Many high rise apartments comes.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage after introductory phrases. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, as the control over complex structures is not yet consistent.

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