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)
Nowadays, skyscrapers are quit popular in several nations. This is best way to use small space in mega cities with high density population. I completely disagree with this statement as i believe that this can provide accommodation to large number of people but it might be affect their quality of life as well.
On the one hand, the benefits of towns with tall apartment such as, it can provide homes to large number of individuals. So government can access rest of space to develop other amenities like shopping malls, public park, schools, hospitals and public transportation. Moreover, the cost of land might be decrease, so medial class family can afford it. For example, valuation of vertical apartment is lower than horizontal in mega cities like Mumbai, Delhi.
On the other hand, people need to compromise with other things. First is quality of life, crowded place may be increase pollution. Individuals do not find personal space. In addition, this kind of apartment might be not have spare for gardening. Furthermore, it required lot of money to construct skyscrapers and require maintenance charges. Moreover, it create noise and air pollution while construction. For example, people face several issues who leave near to construction site in urban area. However, with proper management we can build horizontal apartment or medium heights in urban area. So citizen can get better quality of life.
In conclusion, build tall apartment blocks are the bet way to provide enough homes in large cities but it might be create some issues such pollution, people cannot find personal space. However, with proper management we can make urban cities the best place to live with all facilities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout, although the conclusion is slightly contradictory by stating that tall blocks are the 'best way' despite the essay arguing against them. The ideas are relevant, such as land efficiency versus quality of life, but some points are under-developed. For instance, the mention of 'proper management' for horizontal apartments is vague and lacks specific explanation. To reach a higher band, ensure that your position remains consistent from the introduction to the conclusion and provide more detailed, logical support for your arguments rather than listing multiple points briefly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'First is quality of life' and 'So government can access.' Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, and some sentences lack smooth flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a strong topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'mega cities' and 'vertical apartment,' but there are also instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'quit popular' (quite) and 'medial class' (middle). Some collocations are unnatural, such as 'valuation of vertical apartment.' To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct spelling and word forms, as these minor errors occasionally distract from the message.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the cost of land,' 'a large number'), subject-verb agreement ('it create noise'), and verb forms ('might be affect,' 'it required lot of money'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas and incorrect sentence boundaries. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical errors, which currently occur in almost every sentence.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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