Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13
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 this modern era, people moving into urban area due to many facilities. So the best way to build more houses in big cities is to build tall apartment blocks. I agree with above upto large extent. Before arriving on suitable conclusion, this essay will explicate both the arguments in upcoming paragraphs.
On the one hand, there are umpteen advantages of tall apartments , perhaps the most obvious one is that it has more affordable for everyone. To explain it, apartments are more convenient compared to single homes and they will have less financial pressure on individuals to buy a apartment. As a result, tall buildings are affordable for middle class family. For example, in canada, it is not possible for people to purchase a home due to high prices . People now move to flats because they are cost effective/ friendly.
Moving further, apartments are mainly located to close public transport, gym , shopping mall as well as workplace. This makes people daily life more convenient and reduce travel time. For instance, people can improve their quality of life. On the flip side, having a private house allows parents to engage with their children. To elaborate it , if people have their own home and garden then they can spend quality of time with their family members and also can play with their children like gardening as well as hide and seek. Hence, family bonding become stronger.
In conclusion, I agree that the best way to provide enough homes in big cities is to build tall apartments, it has more affordable for everyone and it saves alot of travel time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of tall buildings are discussed, the counter-argument regarding private homes is brief and lacks depth. The introduction is slightly repetitive, and the conclusion does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is supported by more detailed reasoning or specific examples. For instance, the mention of 'family bonding' is a good point, but it could be expanded to explain why this is specifically difficult in apartment living compared to houses.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'Moving further', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and there are issues with referencing and sentence-level cohesion. For example, the phrase 'I agree with above upto large extent' is awkward and disrupts the flow. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack proper logical connectors between clauses, which occasionally makes the progression feel slightly disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of unnatural phrasing, such as 'it has more affordable' (should be 'it is more affordable') and 'cost effective/ friendly'. The use of 'umpteen' is slightly informal for an academic essay. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban area' and 'financial pressure', the range is limited, and there are recurring errors in word choice and collocation that occasionally hinder the natural flow of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('in canada', 'to close public transport'), incorrect verb forms ('family bonding become stronger'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('apartments are more convenient... they will have less financial pressure'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with articles, prepositions, and verb tense consistency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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