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)

The best way to build houses in large cities to provide place to live for people living their is by constructing tall buildings which include flats, I partially agree with this because it depends on the personal choice due to many different factors.

Firstly It is important to know apartments mostly end up being less costly than seperate house, Also there are people with different mentalities and choices and alsopeople who prefer to live in flats or apartments because they don't have enough money to settle in seperate home and they need to manage other expenses along with this necessity. In addition to this people who care about complete privacy will also choose apartment over seperate house. For these type of people apartment blocks are definitely the right choice to go with.

Secondly there are others who have enough wealth to have their own house will never opt for an apartment or flat because they tend to prefer privacy and indepence of the making choices like changing or managing each and every thing their own way about the place where they will live. Besides all this I think both of these approaches are suitable because of different categories of people and their thinking and desicive choices based on their personal adjustments. I also think that this will give each and every one to decide for their own self and make them feel more confident about their decisions.

Overall whether building apartments blocks or seperate homes is the best choice it depends on the different factors but also along with this there are other things to keep in notice which are also necessary for living a sound life like parks and commercial areas etc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the merits of tall apartment blocks versus separate houses. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention cost and privacy, the arguments are repetitive and lack specific examples or deeper analysis of urban planning challenges. The position is clear, but the reasoning remains at a general level. To improve, you should focus on providing concrete evidence or more nuanced arguments regarding the sustainability or social impact of high-density housing, rather than focusing primarily on individual personal preferences, which limits the scope of the discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'Also' and 'In addition to this'. Some transitions are awkward, such as 'Besides all this', which does not effectively link the ideas. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by sentence-level errors, making the flow feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety 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 'separate house' and 'right choice'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'mentalities and choices' and 'desicive choices'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to urban development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people... who prefer to live... because they don't have enough money'), punctuation errors, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'give each and every one to decide for their own self'). While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic errors and practicing more complex sentence constructions to improve accuracy.

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

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