Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Due to the rapid increase in population, some people argue that to end homelessness building tall apartment buildings are much better than providing homes. This essay will evaluate both aspects of the argument. Personally, i side the former view.

Convincing arguments can be made that as the global economy is nearing another crash people are trying to relocate towards larger cities with better opportunities and because of this cities are facing a housing crises. For example, in New York city there is a protest going against the government to reduce the rent prices and create new housing complexes. To solve the problem governments should introduce new apartment building schemes so every citizens can have their own home rather than focusing on building individual housing. Apartment complexes brings people from different types of ethnicity, background and religion that creates a very strong community in the favor of the cities running administration so providing them the accommodation would benefit the people and result in the government winning the next election.

On the other hand, investing in building new housing schemes can earn the associations and government more capital which they can use to improve the other aspects of the city this can benefit the people who are facing problems in there daily life.

It is easier to sell

In summary, there are arguments which can be made to support creating other types of housing despite this i would favor to invest more time and effort into building more apartments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While you establish a clear position, the development of ideas is inconsistent. The second paragraph introduces relevant points about community, but the third paragraph is fragmented and incomplete, failing to fully explore the counter-argument or provide a balanced evaluation. The essay lacks depth in its reasoning, and the conclusion is abrupt. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point with specific examples and maintain a consistent structure throughout the essay, ensuring all parts of the prompt are addressed thoroughly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows some logical organization, but the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the third paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the second and third paragraphs is weak. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand' and 'In summary', but they are sometimes mechanical. The sentence 'It is easier to sell' appears as a dangling fragment, which disrupts the flow of the text. To improve, focus on ensuring that every paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked smoothly using a wider variety of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'housing complexes' and 'accommodation', but there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'in the favor of the cities running administration'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'housing crises' (plural vs singular) and 'every citizens' (should be 'every citizen'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and ensure accurate word forms, avoiding repetitive or overly simple vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'i side the former view' (missing preposition), 'Apartment complexes brings' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'there daily life' (incorrect homophone). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of lowercase 'i' and missing commas in complex sentences. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct use of prepositions, and proofreading for basic grammatical slips to ensure your writing is more accurate.

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

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