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, urbanization is primarily increasing in all over world. People are moving towards cities because of facilities available there. Therefore providing houses to people has become challenging day by day. Some people believe that the most effective way to supply that demand in large cities is to construct tall apartments. I firmly agree with this idea and i'll justify my arguments with examples.
The main reason for supporting this suggestion is that less area will be required to built large number of houses. Smaller portion of land having 50 to 100 houses will be beneficial as the the extra space can be used for other purposes like agriculture and landfills. Many countries like USA and UK have been shifted to build tall apartment to fulfil the need.
On the other hand, this step can assist in protecting the environment. As large number of forests are being cut down for urban societies which lead to destruction of habitat for different species. As a result the food chain and food web is disturbed which lead to damage to ecosystem. So using small portion of land can help us in conservation of nature.
To sum up, urbanization is the demanding issue at present and in the coming future. To overcome that, we should make homes in large apartments as they acquire less portion of land. Also in this way more usage of land which is leading to deforestation and damage to ecosystem can be reduced to a great level. So it is the best method to provide enough homes as it has less damagin
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. The ideas are relevant, focusing on land efficiency and environmental conservation. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the mention of the USA and UK is vague and lacks specific detail to support the argument effectively. The conclusion is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence, which impacts the overall task completion. To reach a higher band, ensure that arguments are fully extended with concrete examples and that the essay reaches a complete, well-rounded conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the abrupt ending of the final paragraph disrupts the overall coherence of the piece. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a smooth, complete conclusion would enhance the logical progression of the essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific language like 'urbanization', 'ecosystem', and 'conservation'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'built' instead of 'build' and 'damagin' (incomplete). To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express complex ideas more fluently.
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, such as 'in all over world' (missing articles), 'have been shifted to build' (incorrect passive voice usage), and 'which lead to' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of lowercase 'i'. These errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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