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)

It is often argued that the best way to provide sufficient living space in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. Due to financial growth, people are likely to shift to new big cities because they need enough space to live. I disagree with this view because these tall apartment blocks will increase pollution and deforestation.

The first reason why I disagree is that these high-rise apartment blocks disconnect people from their neighbourhood and their joint families. They are made only for small families; because of that, children live there without their parents, which results in a lack of less family interaction and emotional support.

Another important reason is that large-scale construction can have negative environmental consequences. Building numerous apartment blocks requires a substantial amount of land, and construction materials may contribute to the destruction of green spaces and forests. Rapid Urbanisation may harm our natural habitat and green forest areas.

In conclusion, I disagree that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide homes in large cities. Although they can accommodate more people, they may reduce family gatherings and contribute to environmental damage. Therefore, the government should find better solutions for its residents so that they can provide comfortable living and a sustainable environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you clearly state your position, the arguments provided are underdeveloped. For instance, the claim that high-rise buildings cause deforestation is a broad assertion that lacks specific examples or logical explanation of how urban density relates to forest destruction. The argument regarding family dynamics is also somewhat unclear, as it is not immediately obvious why living in an apartment inherently prevents family interaction. To improve, you must expand your points with concrete examples and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for a full exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'The first reason', 'Another important reason', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure of your response. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs could be strengthened by using more varied linking words and better referencing. For example, the transition between the idea of 'small families' and 'lack of family interaction' is abrupt. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next will help improve your score in this area.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific terms such as 'high-rise', 'urbanisation', and 'sustainable environment'. However, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'shift to new big cities' and 'lack of less family interaction', which is a double negative. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive or overly simple descriptors. Expanding your range of synonyms and using more sophisticated vocabulary will enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the government should find better solutions for its residents so that they can provide comfortable living', where the reference of 'they' is ambiguous. Additionally, there are minor issues with punctuation and phrasing. To improve, focus on ensuring that your complex sentences are error-free and that your pronoun references are clear. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures, such as using more conditional or passive constructions, would also demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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