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)

Task-2

In the current societal landscape, house in big cities is to make tall apartment blocks is a phenomenon that is commonly witnessed among diverse population. In my perspective there are numerous advantages and disadvantages of making tall buildings in the cities. So, it would partially agree to this statement.

First and foremost, I am about the in big cities it is very difficult to buy or rent a house as there are limited opportunities available as many citizens migrate from rural areas, as houses are expensive as they are made on a big land whereas on flats there are numerous floors on that same land and it is cheap than house. The city families for example there is 24x7 water and electricity available, security guard is at the entrance, there are parks available for kids; lifts are available in the building.

On the other hand, if there is any natural disaster like earthquake it is very hard to save yourself, for instance person living on top floor

will face lots of difficulty and if a situation is very serious there's a possibility of crash of the building, whereas citizens living in house are safe and have no problem during this situation. Moreover if there is any fire catches in the building there will a situation of emergency which to evacuate all the families which is actually a time taking process. Therefore, it is belived that people living in house homes are happy as they are more indulged in natural activities like gardening and cycling rather than driving.

In summary, there are ad different possibilities of building tall apartments, as it has security and many other benefits available and has many cons during any disaster.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention benefits like security and amenities, and drawbacks like safety concerns during disasters, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. The position is stated as 'partially agree,' but the essay does not fully explore the extent of this agreement, leading to a somewhat balanced but underdeveloped argument. To improve, ensure each point is supported by more detailed reasoning or concrete illustrations rather than just listing features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'So, it would partially agree' and 'if there is any fire catches'. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between 'city families' and the list of amenities is disjointed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows logically from the previous one will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'making tall buildings' instead of 'constructing high-rise buildings' and 'if there is any fire catches' instead of 'in the event of a fire'. The range is limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing by using synonyms and more sophisticated academic vocabulary.

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. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('house in big cities is to make'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction ('there is a possibility of crash of the building'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.

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

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