Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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, some individuals believe that the solution to the shortage of housing in urban areas is to construct big skyscrapers and divided into apartment blocks and apartment issue has become common and attracted significant public attention. It has become a topic of widespread debate due to its impact on individuals and society. This essay will discuss both advantages and disadvantages and state my opinion.

To commence with, one of the major advantages is that it can solve the problem of accommodation, In major cities or many countries there is not enough housing for people to live in. For example, Germany is a good example most of the students does find suitable courses for their future but facing difficulties to find good apartments. In addition, build tall apartments can beneficial for cities itself in terms of financial growth of the city and also profitable for small businesses. Thus, it gives benefits in long-term to the individuals and society.

On the other hand, one of the major disadvantages is that noise pollution, air pollution and water pollution, these types of issues are faced by local people because when authorities build sky scrapers but they don't have any resources for employer or others, so government might face some difficulties in food and water supply such as Bangalore is a good example, as it has faced problems related to water supply and urban infrastructure. As result it may create several problems in long run.

In my opinion, large buildings with better infrastructure will be beneficial for city development but in a very calculated way to control the limit of population because if authority will be fail, so they face lot's of criticism.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the example of Germany is vague, and the argument regarding Bangalore lacks a clear link to how tall buildings specifically cause water shortages, rather than general urban planning failures. The position is stated in the introduction and conclusion, but it lacks a strong, consistent focus throughout the body paragraphs. To improve, you should provide more detailed explanations and specific, well-integrated examples to support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and run-on sentences, such as in the third paragraph where multiple ideas are joined by commas rather than appropriate conjunctions or full stops. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother.

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 is some repetition of basic terms like 'problems', 'difficulties', and 'good example'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'divided into apartment blocks' or 'build tall apartments can beneficial'. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

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., 'most of the students does find'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'build tall apartments can beneficial'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several comma splices and run-on sentences. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

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

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