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)

Housing has to be the biggest concern in current scenario as with increasing population the space each person has is constantly decreasing and the amount of land cannot be expanded ,so solutions to this problem are utmost priority and one of them is to build tall apartment blocks to provide enough homes in large cities, I partially agree with the statement that the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks .

Building tall apartments ensures that there is enough space for everyone and is a great example of land optimization as making multiple houses in space where only one house could fit makes the use of land optimum, there are other benefits to it too .The housing would be more affordable compared to standlone houses , It also promotes builiding a good community within the recidencies , then could also ensure safety with cameras and guard which would be expensive if had to be done individually .

Making tall apartments is not the best solution in my opinion as someone who needs peace and does not want to surround themself with a lot of people would not like this idea and due to tall sharing apartment everything becomes shared be it terrace , gym , play area and other amenities which is not favoured by everyone.Instead a mix of both personal homes and tall apartment buildings could cater to population of both types .

In conclussion , building tall apartments is a good soltuion to provide enough homes in large cities but not the best way , there are other ways this could be done .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear, partially-agree position. You identify the benefits of tall apartment blocks, such as land optimization and affordability, and contrast these with the drawbacks, such as the lack of privacy and shared amenities. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about community safety is mentioned but not fully explained or supported with specific examples. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed reasoning or concrete illustrations to ensure the response feels fully developed rather than just a list of points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition between ideas within the second paragraph relies heavily on commas rather than effective linking words or phrases. Additionally, some sentences are run-on, such as the opening sentence, which makes the flow of ideas slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring that each sentence is clearly demarcated would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'land optimization', 'amenities', and 'cater to'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'recidencies' (residences), 'conclussion' (conclusion), and 'soltuion' (solution). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate basic spelling mistakes. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated synonyms for common words like 'good' or 'big' would also help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar, such as comma splices in the first and second paragraphs. For example, '...cannot be expanded ,so solutions...' and '...standlone houses , It also promotes...'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on mastering the use of commas and conjunctions to connect clauses correctly, and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout your work.

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

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