Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16
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)
It is often argued that it is the beneficial way to provide enough homes to the people in a big urban areas is to build tall apartments blocks. Yet I largely disagree with this notion yet I believe that it also have a various advantages in the people lives .
One the one hand , admittedly , buildings which have small blocks covers the less area . To elaborate, it is easy to made the buildings because it covers the less area and most of the families are able to live there . For example , hostels which are situated in nearby the college have various stories so that most of the students are able to live there .
On the other hand , tall apartments blocks are huge expensive .To be precise , the rent of the place is very high due to the furniture and infrastructure . Although , middle class and poor people are not able to pay the rent . For instance , the buildings which are situated in the well-known cities , they have very high in price .
Moreover , people who are living in the small blocks of the building , it is also effect their mental health . In other words , cities do not have open space , but on the other side most of the people prefer to live in the open space . As a result , it creates health issue .
In conclusion , providing homes in large cities is quit beneficial . However , there are several drawbacks like health issue and very expensive in price .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt, but the position is inconsistent. While you state you 'largely disagree', the conclusion suggests that providing homes in this way is 'quite beneficial', which contradicts your earlier stance. The ideas are relevant but lack depth; for instance, the argument about mental health is mentioned but not clearly linked to the specific topic of tall apartment blocks versus other housing solutions. To improve, ensure your position is clearly maintained throughout the essay and provide more detailed, logical explanations for your arguments rather than brief, repetitive statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'One the one hand' (should be 'On the one hand') and 'Yet I largely disagree... yet I believe'. Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, and the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by unclear referencing. For example, in the third paragraph, the jump from 'tall apartments' to 'middle class and poor people' is a bit disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help the flow of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'it is easy to made the buildings' (should be 'to build') and 'tall apartments blocks are huge expensive' (should be 'very expensive'). You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle with collocations. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated academic vocabulary and ensure that words are used in their correct grammatical form and context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('it also have a various advantages'), incorrect verb forms ('easy to made'), and article usage ('in the people lives'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring consistent verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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