Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23

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)

In today's fast paced world metropolis play a major role in the development of the nation and boost the economic growth of the nation. Nowadays, many people do not have any house for living so the administration should provide them a place where these people can live peacefully. I partially agree with this statement, but both aspects related to this trend are highlighted in the upcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, there are multifarious reasons why the tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide enough homes in big towns. The first and foremost reason is, the cost of production will be reduced and save lot of space. To explain, in several nations they face difficulty for empty space, most of the denizens prefer living in big and developed cities. As a result, apartment blocks will be beneficial for them rather than separate house. Apart from this, it gives a new society and help to make friendly environment. To be more specific, many people feel stress and loneliness when they do not have friends or family members, here society play a major role in providing them peaceful and friendly environment where they can spend lots of time with other people.

Nevertheless, there are numerous reasons why the tall apartment blocks are not the best way to provide enough homes in metropolis. The prime one reason is, citizens waste there lots of time to reach apartment. To elaborate, there are many apartments in tall building, sometimes the elevator or lift does not work properly, it becomes a major problem for the citizens.

To conclude, although in developed cities tall apartment blocks provide many facilities for the people who live in like parking, playing ground and friendly society but sometimes it causes many problems for the citizens.

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 somewhat limited. While you mention cost-efficiency and social benefits, the arguments are not fully extended with specific examples or logical depth. The counter-argument regarding elevator maintenance is quite narrow and does not fully address the complexity of the issue, such as urban density or infrastructure strain. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is supported by a clear, well-explained example or a deeper analysis of the implications. Your position is clear, but the overall development remains superficial.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'To commence with', 'Apart from this', and 'Nevertheless', to signal shifts in your argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'the elevator or lift does not work properly', which feels like a sudden, minor point rather than a robust argument. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'metropolis', 'denizens', and 'multifarious'. However, there are instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'cost of production will be reduced' (referring to housing construction) and 'waste there lots of time' (should be 'their'). Some phrasing is also slightly unnatural, such as 'provide them a place where these people can live peacefully'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on collocations and more natural phrasing will help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('metropolis play', 'society play') and article usage ('the cost of production', 'the elevator'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and comma splices that affect readability. The errors do not generally impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and refining your use of articles and prepositions.

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

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