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)
Nowadays, many individuals are shifting towards cities by leaving their roots behind. Some people thinks that construction of flats is the most effective way to provide housing in large cities. This essay intends to discuss about this viewpoint before explaining why I completely agree with this.
High apartments requires lesser land area to be constructed. Buildings that are erected vertically as flats are less land extensive rather than the one which are expanded horizontally. Additionally, people of different ages, ethnicity, places can live together and work for the betterment of the society and ultimately for the country. Moreover, they can learn several different traditions and cultures that can be useful for them in understanding each other efficiently.
In addition, when a number of houses are built in megacities, people will get numerous opportunity to upgrade their skills and their pay scale. This will be beneficial for both an individuals and the country in term of economy, image and diversification. Another benefit can be accounted is city exposure. Living an high end metropolis city can expose public to several challenges as well as chances to attain something that can be valuable. For instance, HUDA Housing Scheme in Haryana builds high rise buildings in tier-1 and tier-2 cities and town. This helps migrated individuals to settle down in a big city and can provide lucrative opening for them.
Ultimately, as the evidence suggests that building high rise apartments requires lesser land and can be simultaneously beneficial for the individuals planning to migrate to the city. Therefore, I completely agree with the given statement and its benefits.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding land efficiency and social benefits are relevant, though the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'city exposure' is vague and could have been better linked to the specific benefits of high-rise living. While the main ideas are present, they lack depth and specific analysis, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The inclusion of the HUDA Housing Scheme is a good attempt at providing a concrete example, though its connection to the overall argument could be more explicitly explained.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'In addition', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the social benefits of living in flats and the economic benefits mentioned in the third paragraph is somewhat disjointed. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the distinct arguments, which helps the reader follow the writer's train of thought.
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 some awkward collocations, such as 'high apartments' instead of 'high-rise apartments' and 'living an high end metropolis city'. The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but the use of less common lexical items is limited. Some phrasing, such as 'leaving their roots behind', is slightly informal for an academic essay. Improving word choice and collocation accuracy would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'Some people thinks' and 'High apartments requires', as well as article usage errors ('an high end metropolis'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from achieving a higher score. The use of complex structures is attempted, but they are often marred by these inaccuracies.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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