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)
The best way to provide urbanization is to provide enough homes in large cities. And there are increase in building tall apartment blocks because in small space many people can live. I agree with this statement however there are also disadvantage of over-population at single place.
On the one hand, there are increase in constructing of tall apartments in all over the world. There are many facilities you get at one place such as gym, park and sports center which is convenient for people. At just small portion of land builders make such tall building where so many different families can live at same place. For example, in Mumbai there are only building the skyscrapers for both residential and corporate. The tall building is much in trend nowadays because of its view and facilities.
On the other hand, people also buy tenement because they have there own personal space like garden and more spacious. If all people shift to large cities it can lead to traffic congestion, air pollution and increase in population. At the time of earthquake this buildings can fall so easily and you can not come out easily. In the apartment you do have your space, you have to always interact with others. But building can be more cheaper that tenement and that's reason why people choose it.
In conclusion, living in the tall apartment can benefit for cities because it does not take lots of space and often have variety in prices. People can have many facilities at one place and so it is very convenient and flexible for people. However, you do not get your space and privacy.
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 response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks. However, the position is not consistently maintained; while you state you agree, the body paragraphs present a balanced view without a clear, overarching argument. Some ideas, such as the mention of earthquakes or the comparison to tenements, are introduced but not fully developed or linked back to the core question of whether this is the 'best' way to provide housing. To improve, ensure your position is clear in the introduction and that every paragraph directly supports your stance, rather than just listing pros and cons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'And there are increase' at the start is a weak transition, and the connection between sentences within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'this buildings' (should be 'these buildings'). While there is a clear attempt at paragraphing, the flow between ideas could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their intended nouns.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'small space', 'many people', and 'at one place'. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'constructing of tall apartments' (should be 'construction of tall apartments') and 'buy tenement' (should be 'buy a tenement'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to urban planning and housing, rather than repeating simple descriptors.
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 fluency. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('there are increase', 'this buildings can fall'), article usage ('at just small portion'), and word form errors ('building can be more cheaper'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the text from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that comparative adjectives are used correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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