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)

A house is a basic necessity for the people and they have every right to deserve it but due to the increasing population,the land area per each person is going down year by year and as the world is evolving more people tend to live in major urban cities which creates a problem of shortage of land reserved for settelment purposes.

To tackle this problem,large cities are trying to evolve by changing the structure of settlment blocks from wide houses to narrow tall buildings which is a great way to preserve valuable land and is a valuable method to create more homes on a small piece of land.

If you ask me,this is a great way to provide enough homes in large cities because in this way many people can settle on a small piece of land at one place which saves much more land when compared to short wide houses for relatively less people.In these tall apartment blocks people should be provided with every basic necessity such as security,parking,laundry,clean water,24/7 electricity,privacy and in case any accident occurs a small dispensery or pharmacy should be also provided which will satisfy people as their basic things are handled perfectly.

These apartments can also be not ideal for some people who are not comfortable with this sort of home such as people who have height phobia or elderly people as it is not easy to commute with a old body which can be concerning and apart from these,some people do not prefer this kind of home and they tend to like to live in a seperate house build on land so it depends on the preferences of people.

In the end there is one thing that this is a great way to settle people by tackling the population problem and preserving the land but this shouldn't be the only way and we should find some other ways also as these apartment blocks are not suitable for all people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed the prompt by taking a clear position and providing relevant arguments. You discuss the benefits of tall apartment blocks, such as land preservation, and acknowledge counter-arguments regarding personal preferences and accessibility for the elderly. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, while you mention that tall buildings save land, you could have expanded on the economic or environmental implications of high-density living to reach a higher band. The conclusion is clear, but the overall response lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher score. Ensure that each point is fully extended with specific examples or logical consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, you frequently use 'this' to refer back to previous ideas, which can become monotonous. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect sentences and ideas more fluidly. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the transition between the benefits of apartment living and the drawbacks could be smoother. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'basic necessity', 'urban cities', and 'settlement purposes'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of word-choice errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'dispensery' (spelling) and 'old body' (which sounds unnatural). To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations. You tend to rely on simple, repetitive language rather than demonstrating a wider range of sophisticated lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in punctuation, particularly with missing spaces after commas (e.g., 'population,the', 'me,this'). Additionally, there are minor grammatical slips, such as 'can also be not ideal' (should be 'may not be ideal') and 'a old body' (should be 'an elderly person'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on sentence variety and proofreading for basic punctuation and article usage.

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

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