Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

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, we can found vertical building rather than horizontal in mega cities. There are several benefits of tall apartment block in town. I am completely agree with this statement and i will discuss in following essay.

In present time large cities have tall building. There are several reason for it. First, mega cities are over populated nowadays due to urban migration. Second, towns face shortage of space if horizontal apartment build in city area. Moreover, advantages of vertical building such as it requires small place, so we can use rest of place as develop other facilities like cafes, restaurants, public gardens and shopping centers. In addition, government use this place to construct hospitals, universities and other entertainment parks. Furthermore, over population can easily manage by tall apartment block. For example, there are more than 5 corer people live in mega cities like Mumbai, Delhi due to skyscrapers. Moreover, we can found various amenities in developed cities like Melbourne, Chicago, Shanghai.

On the one hand, this kind of plan has drawback like, people might be not found personal place as available in horizontal apartment or might be face parking issue. On the flipside, we can find massive opportunities in city compared to country side and property values might be less, so individuals can find affordable.

Conclusion, people find some issues in vertical apartments, but this is a best way to develop one mega cities. It is a great solution to manage over population and other space available to develop other amenities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention urban migration and space efficiency, the arguments lack depth and specific analysis. For instance, the example of Mumbai and Delhi is mentioned but not clearly linked to the argument about how skyscrapers solve overpopulation. The counter-argument in the third paragraph is brief and lacks a strong rebuttal, which limits the overall persuasiveness of the essay. To improve, ensure each main point is supported by a clear explanation and a more detailed example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', 'In addition'). Some transitions feel forced, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through your argument.

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 terms like 'big', 'place', and 'good', and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'we can found vertical building' instead of 'we can find vertical buildings'. There are also some errors in word choice, such as '5 corer' (which is not standard English) and 'develop other facilities' (where 'develop' is used incorrectly). Expanding your range to include more academic collocations and precise terminology would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('we can found', 'people might be not found'), article usage, and pluralization ('tall apartment block' instead of 'tall apartment blocks'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by errors, such as 'I am completely agree' (should be 'I completely agree'). The sentence structure is often simplistic. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tenses and the correct use of modal verbs, before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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

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