Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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 5.0)

In todays rapidly changing world tall buildings made up of blocks is enough home in large cities. While some like to live in big houses made of bricks on big area. Others believe that living in small houses in shapes of building is sufficient. however I believe that most effective way is living in big homes

firstly living in big houses offers profound benefits like it has garden and sun shines directly in home. it has its own parking area. for example I am living on 5th floor of building in big city Karachi. My home is 3 room bedroom apartment. but there is not such kind of facilities like garden, parking area and my flat have full roof so there is not possible that we can get sun light.

Secondly in in big homes children can play freely and they can participate in doing gardening. on other hand big houses we can get sun directly. we can dry clothes in sunlight. Even in big houses every one has its own room. we can get electricity through solar plates in big homes. for example one of my friend has big bungalow in same city Karachi. she has all facilities which a home made up of blocks in tall building. she enjoys rain in her own home where I can not. her children enjoyed all activities and they have there own separate room where they can do what they want.

In conclusion we can see big homes made on big areas has have much more facilities than than home in building. therefore I strongly disagree about providing enough homes in cities to build tall apartment blocks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against tall apartment blocks. However, the development is limited. The argument relies heavily on personal anecdotes (e.g., comparing your apartment in Karachi to a friend's bungalow) rather than addressing the broader urban planning context required by the task. The prompt asks about the 'best way to provide enough homes in large cities,' but you focus almost exclusively on personal lifestyle preferences like gardening and sunlight. To improve, you should discuss the societal, economic, or environmental implications of high-density housing versus urban sprawl, rather than just personal comfort. The ideas are repetitive and lack the depth expected for an Academic Task 2 essay.

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 mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, 'on other hand' is used without the necessary article, and transitions like 'firstly' and 'secondly' are used, but the internal flow within paragraphs is disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'it has its own parking area' where the antecedent is not explicitly defined. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression of ideas is hindered by the repetitive nature of the arguments and the lack of sophisticated linking words to connect the personal examples to the main topic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use simple terms like 'big houses,' 'big city,' and 'facilities.' There is little evidence of less common lexical items or an attempt to use academic collocations. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'made up of blocks' or 'in shapes of building.' While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the reliance on simple, repetitive language limits the score. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to urban development, such as 'high-density housing,' 'urban sprawl,' 'infrastructure,' or 'sustainable living.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('in big city'), subject-verb agreement issues ('big homes... has have'), and punctuation errors. Sentence structures are predominantly simple or contain errors when you attempt complex constructions. For example, 'there is not possible that we can get sun light' is grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction impacts the overall fluency. You should focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring correct subject-verb agreement, and using articles appropriately before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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

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