Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20

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)

Recent time is witnessing a considerable lack of shelters due to which some people believe that the best way to give number of homes in big towns is to manufacture tall apartment blocks. I will partially see eye to eye this notion in my upcoming writing paragraphs.

To commence with, ample of reasons are there why is it important to build large buildings blocks. First and foremost is more people in less space. To be more precise, big apartment is a beneficial because many masses live in a one building instead of living in a small houses. They can get many facilities in apartment such as water supply, electricity and food facilities they do not need to go anywhere o buy water and food and other things. A survey was conducted by British broadcasting revealed that 85% population of China lives in tall buildings and get many opportunities.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of this trend. First of all, disaster prone. To explain it, If people live in a large buildings they can face many difficulties like earthquake and floods. Roots of tall building becoming weak with this disasters. For instance, an article of 'English Times' revealed that 9 out of 10 buildings get destroyed with hurricanes.

To conclude, although number of positive points of this trend but its negative side can not be neglected. If people make houses according to there needs then it will be proven beneficial not only for one but for the whole society.

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 limited. For example, the argument regarding 'facilities' in apartments is vague, and the claim that 85% of China's population lives in tall buildings lacks credibility and relevance to the core argument. The position is stated in the introduction but remains somewhat underdeveloped throughout the body paragraphs. To improve, you should provide more logical, real-world justifications for your stance rather than relying on unsupported statistics. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented.

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 unnatural, such as 'To commence with' and 'To explain it'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, for instance, the phrase 'this trend' is used without a strong preceding link. While there is a logical progression from advantages to disadvantages, the transitions between sentences feel abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'manufacture tall apartment blocks' (instead of 'construct' or 'develop') and 'many masses' (which is not standard English). Phrases like 'see eye to eye this notion' are used incorrectly. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more natural collocations and academic vocabulary. Avoid informal or imprecise phrasing and ensure that your word choices are appropriate for an academic essay context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'Recent time is witnessing' (incorrect tense/collocation), 'ample of reasons are there' (awkward syntax), and 'If people make houses according to there needs' (incorrect homophone 'there' instead of 'their'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage.

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

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