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)

In the modern world, rapid population growth and overcrowded cities can lead to many problems for residential areas because of space constraints almost everywhere. Still, these issues can be addressed through various solutions, and one of them is building tall apartment blocks, which provide enough homes in large cities, in my opinion.

On one hand, living in an apartment has some advantages and disadvantages as well. People living in an apartment might not have a very private life because the homes are on a single floor and share the same space. There might also be issues of noise and various other factors, so people who prefer more comfortable and quiet environments choose a single private house. Moreover, there is also a high risk for people living on high floors when natural calamities occur, but security and good quality construction are considered these days. For people who like sharing space and want good views, tall apartment blocks are more enjoyable.

On the other hand, a single private house in societies might have parking issues, and it covers a lot of space in the city, which may be a disadvantage for the government's land area. As for this growing population, there are not enough homes left in several cities because of the space covered by single houses. However, it is also very expensive to build a private house rather than buying an apartment, which is also more beneficial in terms of cost, living, and parking space, which is allotted at the time of construction.

In my opinion, the best way to provide enough homes for this increasing population in large cities is definitely to build tall apartment blocks because it helps to everyone and also the city looks more modern and developed. Therefore, in recent years we can see that more apartments are being constructed in many metropolitan cities.

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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention the benefits of space efficiency and cost, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. For instance, you mention 'natural calamities' and 'parking issues' but do not fully explain how high-rise living specifically solves the broader urban planning challenges beyond general statements. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete evidence or logical reasoning to support your claims, ensuring that each paragraph contributes significantly to the overall argument rather than just listing general pros and cons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Therefore' to signal transitions between ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the connection between the points within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition from discussing privacy to natural calamities in the second paragraph feels abrupt. Improving the use of referencing and more sophisticated linking words would help create a more cohesive and natural progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'space constraints,' 'metropolitan cities,' and 'natural calamities.' However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision or sophistication required for higher bands. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'it helps to everyone' (should be 'it helps everyone') and 'covers a lot of space in the city' (which could be expressed more academically). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid relying on basic verbs and adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'security and good quality construction are considered these days' (which is vague) and 'it helps to everyone.' Additionally, some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more varied, accurate complex sentence structures will significantly enhance your score.

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

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