Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

As population grow significantly, a critical dilemma arises: should metropolis cities provide skyscrapers for enough housing or building the house in the country side is the best approach?. While some argue that build tall apartments is not the best approach, I firmly believe that vertical construction is only solution for providing more housing facilities for the dwellers of large cities, because it required less space as compare to detached housing.

While it is undeniable that housing is essential part of humankind, but due to lack of space on the earth , there is not sufficient space in big towns for construction of new housing. This is the reason, making hi - rise buildings is one of the best solution to this problem. But what many individuals do not understand is that simply construct the house in the vertical direction, not only save space for other buildings but also alleviate the issue of less green areas, which is essential in the cities.

An equally pivotal factor is heating problem in summers, tall building remain cold as compare to single or double story homes, as a tall structure keep all the floors cool because the direct sunlight cannot have access from the top. This type of construction ultimately result in less requirement of air-condition, which ultimately save the electricity and the ecosystem as well. Vertical garden is a case in point, some cities like Mumbai, Toronto, and Bombay have vertical gardens on the tall building, which provide fresh fruits and vegetable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of vertical construction. However, the essay falls just short of the 250-word minimum, which impacts the overall development. While the ideas are relevant, the supporting arguments—such as the claim that tall buildings remain cold because sunlight cannot reach the top—are scientifically questionable and lack logical depth. The mention of Mumbai and Toronto is a good attempt at providing examples, but the inclusion of 'Bombay' (which is the former name of Mumbai) is redundant. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your arguments more thoroughly and ensure your reasoning is grounded in logical, real-world facts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical. You use some cohesive devices like 'While it is undeniable' and 'An equally pivotal factor,' but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are occasionally abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical progression is hindered by the lack of depth in the arguments. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly supports your main thesis, creating a more seamless connection between your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there is a lack of precision and some awkward collocations. For example, 'metropolis cities' is redundant, and 'heating problem in summers' is not the standard way to describe cooling needs. You attempt some topic-specific vocabulary like 'vertical construction' and 'dwellers,' which is positive. However, there are errors in word choice, such as 'construct the house' instead of 'constructing houses.' To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('population grow,' 'building the house... is'), article usage ('the earth,' 'the ecosystem'), and sentence structure ('as compare to' instead of 'compared to'). While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors, such as 'This is the reason, making hi-rise buildings is...' which is grammatically incorrect. You need to focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that prepositions are used correctly in comparative structures.

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

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