Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-19

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)

In most countries, Houses are the most crucial need as well as a dream of each and every citizen, however, some individuals think that develop higher floor buildings fulfils the requirement of enough houses in megacities. I agree to some extent.

In recent years, People living in nuclear families, owing to this requirement for homes drastically increased day by day, Bar the major concern is the lack of enough land in cities. To solve this issue, build tall buildings or apartments to provide enough space in houses and resolve the issues of land. As a result, many people's dreams come true to buy their dream new home. For example, according to research carried out at the University of Architecture in the year of 2026 and data shows that Mumbai has the top place to build tall apartments in India.

On the other hand, To destroy fertile land for building development has not appropriate, On account of these we might lost land as well as other essential things such as vegetables, fruits, grains all that we need for survival, Furthermore we can loss the other plant base derives product that affect the whole ecosystem of life. Eventually we all are dependent on the one and other so it is affect our life for survival. For example, In China uses all lands as construction purpose and after Some years their economy drastically go down because of lack of food, cotton, and other survival problems.

To conclude, Builds higher buildings we can see the positive and negative sides of both so everything can do but in limit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention land scarcity and the need for housing, the arguments regarding the environmental impact are repetitive and lack nuance. The position is clear, but the supporting examples, such as the reference to a 2026 study and the generalization about China, are not effectively integrated or logically sound. To improve, focus on providing more detailed, realistic justifications for your arguments and ensure that your examples directly support your main points rather than relying on vague or hypothetical scenarios.

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 inaccurate. For instance, phrases like 'Bar the major concern' and 'On account of these' are used incorrectly, which disrupts the flow of ideas. Additionally, the transition between the benefits of tall buildings and the environmental drawbacks is abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the overall argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher score. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'develop higher floor buildings' instead of 'constructing high-rise buildings' and 'plant base derives product' instead of 'plant-based products'. Some phrasing is awkward, which occasionally makes the meaning less clear. To improve, try to learn collocations in context and focus on using more academic vocabulary to express complex ideas, rather than relying on simple or incorrectly used terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Houses are the most crucial need'), incorrect verb forms ('we might lost land'), and punctuation errors. These errors are noticeable and occasionally impede the reader's understanding. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often faulty, which limits your score in this criterion. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like tense consistency and pluralization to improve your accuracy.

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

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