Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-14

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)

Many people think that building skyscrapers is the best solution to the deficiency of living places in big cities. I rather agree with this opinion, because it helps to place many people on a small territory, but it can cause various infrastructure problems, thus cities can be expanded to solve this problem.

On the one hand, multi-story construction has many benefits. Large cities often face with the problem of overcrowdeness. Their population constantly grows, but there is not much space to offer them new housing. Building a many-floors house in this type of a city can solve a problem of the lacking of living places. For example, there are many apartment blocks in Russia where thousands of people live, which is equal to the population of a small town.

On the other hand, tall houses have their flaws. Living in a place where hundreds of even thousands of people surround you can be very stressful. Besides that, there is often a problem with the shortage of important infrastructure, such as schools, children's gardens and parking places. Thus, the lack of homes can be solved through the expanding of big cities onto small towns and villages, where less people live and it is much easier to build any essential institutions. As an example, in many big cities in Russia developers build houses in forest areas, providing people with fresh air and enough infrastructure, while the number of floors does not exceed ten.

In conclusion, while tall apartment blocks building can provide living places for many people using not much space, living in this buildings can be stressful, therefore cities' expanding can be more beneficial in certain cases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages of tall apartment blocks and the alternative of urban expansion. The position is clear, although the argument for expansion is somewhat contradictory to the initial agreement with the prompt. Ideas are relevant, such as the mention of infrastructure and social stress, but some points, like the 'children's gardens' (kindergartens), are slightly underdeveloped. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the development of the counter-argument could be more nuanced to fully justify the 'extent' of the agreement. Overall, it meets the requirements for a Band 6.0 as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant, though sometimes simplified, ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'this problem' used multiple times). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits and drawbacks. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the link between the introduction and the conclusion could be tighter to ensure a more cohesive argument throughout the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'deficiency', 'infrastructure', and 'essential institutions'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'overcrowdeness' (overcrowding), 'children's gardens' (kindergartens/nurseries), and 'building a many-floors house' (high-rise buildings). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more natural collocations and precise terminology related to urban planning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'face with the problem' (face the problem), 'lacking of living places' (lack of living space), and 'where less people live' (where fewer people live). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips in article usage and pluralization. While the errors are frequent, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning. The range of structures is sufficient to convey the argument, but more consistent control over complex forms is needed for a higher band.

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

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