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 present time with rising number of the urban population, it is widely important to manage enough homes for residents in large cities. Not only local population contributes for rising number of locality, people coming from other locality and native location globally for work, study places the role too. Planning to provide them enough space for living should be plan intellectually. I agree with the point of building tall blocks can provide enough space for large cities. I will discuss my opinions in forthcoming paragraphs.
High rise and row accommodation plays respective roles in city growth. row houses requires large are of land which can accommodate only one family, also require more space for parking plot and recreational activity space. However, in high rises it is possible to manage these things wisely with structured architectural planning.
In cities, there are often little space available for residential development. High rise apartment can build in small are with enough number of unites. Which can accommodate to hundred of families. Rest space can be occupied for recreational amenities for families living there. It also reduce the possibility of moving outskirts of the town.
On the other hand, relying more on high rises can with large unit numbers can create problems too. Since the high rises are dense overcrowded it may effect the family privacy. It may create noise pollution, especially during festival seasons. Therefore, government should limit the unity number to prevent such problems to prevent inconvenience faced by families. Developing public transport and food availability would also be helpful for for citizens.
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 by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, discussing land efficiency and recreational space versus privacy concerns. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'recreational amenities' is mentioned but not elaborated upon with specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion is brief and lacks a summary of the main points. While the position is clear throughout, the ideas could be extended further to reach a higher band. The response covers all parts of the task, but the depth of argument is limited, placing it firmly in the 6.0 range.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the counter-argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In present time' or 'Which can accommodate to hundred of families.' Referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. While the overall structure is coherent, the lack of sophisticated linking words and occasional lapses in flow prevent a higher score. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the main arguments.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choice, such as 'native location globally' instead of 'international migrants' or 'unity number' instead of 'number of units.' Some collocations are unnatural, such as 'manage these things wisely.' While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'residential development' and 'recreational amenities,' the range is limited, and errors in word formation occasionally occur. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning but does not demonstrate the flexibility required for a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'row houses requires' (subject-verb agreement), 'can build in small are' (passive voice error and spelling), and 'it may effect the family privacy' (confusing 'effect' with 'affect'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but sentence construction is often clunky. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and the accurate application of passive voice.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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