Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25

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)

The debate over whether the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks is a nuanced one. I believe that to accommodate maximum citizens in large cities in apartments, it is crucial to understand the pros and cons of apartments.

The urban area have more jobs opportunities, more cultural heritage exposure, advanced basic necessities of life and exemplary education for younger generation. It helps them to understand the modernised system of world. The city life gives more exposure to the adults. For these reasons everyone from rural areas move to big cities. As we know that due to rise in population of the world, now housing is converted from large spacious and airy houses to small and airy apartments. In the past the houses were spacious and airy. There were good ventilation in houses. In the garden, family sits together for the evening tea and snacks. Children have outdoor play area, due to which they have less screen time and their mind and body remains active and nourished.

However, with increased population construction companies started foster apartments instead of houses. They get exemplary benefits as flats costs lower than houses. It is manageable for all working individuals. For a family of four persons a three bedroom apartment is perfect. However, the apartments have no ventilation, no proper sunlight, no gardens and any natural disaster can foster flats into wreckage due to its material.

In my view, houses can not be totally replaced by apartments. Secondly, Construction companies should use good quality of materials and construct apartments in such a way that person can feel fresh air and can have breathtaking views of scenery.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the pros and cons of tall apartment blocks. However, the position is not fully developed. While you acknowledge the necessity of apartments due to population growth, the argument lacks a clear, consistent stance on whether this is the 'best' way to provide housing. The second paragraph focuses heavily on the benefits of city life rather than the specific topic of high-rise living. To improve, ensure each paragraph directly supports your thesis and provides more specific examples or evidence to justify your claims regarding urban planning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the transition from the benefits of city life to the history of housing in the second paragraph is abrupt. While you use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'In my view', they are sometimes used mechanically or to introduce ideas that don't fully follow from the previous sentence. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'it is crucial to understand the pros and cons of apartments', where 'it' lacks a clear antecedent.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'spacious and airy' and 'exemplary'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'construction companies started foster apartments' and 'flats costs lower'. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

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 flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The urban area have', 'flats costs lower') and article usage errors ('in such a way that person can feel'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should focus on reducing these basic errors and incorporating a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, with greater accuracy.

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

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