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)

Presently in large cities constructing sky touching apratments are considered as best alternative to provide enough homes to individuals. I agree with the statement as high building accomodate more people, and reduces use of agricultural area. In this essay, I will discuss the impact of tall buildings and will draw a conclusion.

On one hand, due to urbanization and ever increasing population living has become a major problem in various big cities. It is suggested that constructing tall buildings will provide more space to individuals by consuming a limited area. Additionally, it limits the utilization of lands for converting to homes and also did not affect the areas covered by parks for public. For instance, tokyo which is the city of Japan has constructed tower buildings to provide homes to its public.

However, tall apartments also exert some negative impacts on the individuals becauase such buildings did not provide any space for exposure to day light. Additionally, people remained confined to their rooms and began to live in isolation which not only affects the physical health but also detrimental effects on mental health. Furthermore, high buildings are greatly affected by climatic changes, like volcanoes as the force of gravitation decreases as we go away from the surface of earth. Hence, local governmental departments should work to utlize the old building that were once used by industries and some other department to provide individuals with a safe place to live in.

In conclusion, it is true that many floored apartments provide huge area to accomodate numerous people in big cities. I agree with that tall buildings are beneficial in many aspects like conserving the lands for agriculture and parks used by the local people. But they also have some negative impacts on the health of the people. The local organizations and governments should take measures in constructing apartments that fulfill all the requirements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding land conservation and social isolation are relevant. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the point about 'volcanoes' and 'gravitation' is scientifically inaccurate and irrelevant to the topic of urban planning, which weakens the overall argument. While the position is clear, the supporting evidence could be more focused and logical to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the essay would benefit from more depth in the body paragraphs to fully explore the complexities of the issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'However,' and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed. Referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the benefits of tall buildings and the negative impacts could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the paragraphing and linking could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'urbanization,' 'agricultural area,' and 'detrimental effects.' However, there are several spelling errors ('apratments,' 'accomodate,' 'utlize') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'sky touching apartments.' The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Improving spelling and using more natural collocations would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

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, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('buildings did not provide,' 'buildings are greatly affected') and incorrect article usage ('the city of Japan'). Punctuation is mostly functional, but there are some errors that affect the flow. The attempt at complex structures is evident, but the accuracy is inconsistent. To improve, the writer should focus on correcting basic grammatical errors and ensuring consistent tense usage throughout the essay.

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