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)

With the rapid increase in population, the demand for houses in large cities has substantially increased and can be addressed by building tall apartments blocks.While some people argue this as they want their own houses and a better environment. Although both perspectives hold merit, but I believe the same and I totally agree with the given statement.Two arguments are given below with a counter argument explained in detail along with the conclusion.

The infrastructure of the building should be designed in a way that is beneficial in providing homes for many people. Due to rapidly increasing population, Government fails to provide houses for all people. So, building tall apartments seems to solve the problem as it occupies less space and can be a home to hundred of people. My friend's family moved from urban area to city for better life style and quality. But they faced a severe issue, that is no availability of houses. So, they bought an apartment and they are satisfied with the environment there. In a nutshell, apartments can be a solution to meet the public demand.

Many people cannot afford to buy or rent houses in large cities as it can be quite expensive. So many people bought apartments as they are much cheaper and a reasonable option. In result, apartments are good for many people.

While apartments are good, but some people might don't like the style or environment of apartments. Many people find them more conjusted and noisy.

I can be conclude that apartments are the need of today's world. They can be very beneficial in large cities and can be cheaper than other options.It is an individual's perspective of what suits them most.

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 limited. While you mention population growth and affordability, the arguments remain somewhat superficial and repetitive. For instance, the point about affordability is mentioned twice without significant expansion. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations or specific examples that illustrate the broader societal or economic impacts of high-density housing. The counter-argument is acknowledged but lacks depth, as it is presented in a very brief paragraph that does not fully engage with the complexity of the issue.

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 repetitive (e.g., 'So', 'In a nutshell', 'In result'). There are also issues with sentence-level cohesion; for example, the opening paragraph contains a sentence fragment ('While some people argue this as they want their own houses...') that lacks a main clause. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the transition between the second and third paragraphs, where the focus on affordability feels like a restatement of the previous point rather than a new, distinct argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'better', and 'big'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'conjusted' (spelling error for 'congested') and the phrase 'I can be conclude', which is grammatically incorrect. While you successfully communicate your meaning, the lack of more sophisticated or academic vocabulary limits the score. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic synonyms for common words.

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 the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Government fails'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'some people might don't like'), and punctuation errors. The sentence 'While some people argue this as they want their own houses and a better environment' is an incomplete thought. Additionally, the use of 'In result' is non-standard. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

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

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