Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-17

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 widely believed that the best way to provide enough shelters in large urban areas is to construct tall multi apartment buildings. I strongly agree with the statement as it is very convenient way to provide homes under a place which saves cost and space.

To begin with, the plan for building a multi story apartment is encouraging approach to accommodate many households who cannot afford a house in large city where land are very limited for construction. Meanwhile, These tall apartments plays a crucial role to provide a large number of residents while making an efficient use of such a limited land. For instance, owning a land in a city is very expensive, whereas owning a house is a dream for every family, the solution proposed by government with reputed construction companies to build affordable buildings in a city to accommodate a large number of residents is widely accepted. As a result, with this idea shortage of housing will declined and we can make the efficient use of available land in city.

On the other hand, Cities should also develop residential areas outside the city centre. Large cities have vast land available on outskirts where house and low rise building can be constructed. For example, government can develop new suburbs with affordable housing and transport links. However, it helps to reduce overcrowding challenges and also citizens can get more spacious accommodations.

To conclude this, pressure on city centres can be reduced, while more people can have access to affordable and spacious homes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of tall apartment blocks are discussed, the argument lacks depth in terms of specific examples or nuanced analysis. The second body paragraph introduces a counter-argument regarding outskirts development, which is relevant but slightly weakens the focus on the prompt's specific claim about the 'best way' to provide homes. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations for your claims, such as discussing the environmental impact or social implications of high-density living, rather than just stating that it saves space.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Meanwhile', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. For instance, the use of 'Meanwhile' at the start of the second sentence in the first body paragraph is not entirely appropriate for the context. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'the solution proposed by government' which lacks a specific antecedent. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'urban areas', 'multi-story apartment', and 'outskirts'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'shelters' (which usually refers to emergency housing rather than permanent homes) and 'encouraging approach' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). There are also some minor errors in collocation, such as 'shortage of housing will declined'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('These tall apartments plays', 'shortage... will declined') and article usage errors ('owning a land', 'in a city'). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly clunky. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips, particularly regarding verb tenses and pluralization.

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

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