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)

There is this idea that is being discussed among people that the best way to solve the housing problem in large cities is to built tall buildings and apartments to accommodate the booming population. I wholeheartedly agree with this idea.

The Population of the world is booming day by day and people are migrating from small cities to large cities in search of education, health and employment opportunities. This has resulted in high population density. It is being difficult for authorities to accommodate such a large population in the cities because of land shortage.. Building tall apartments, adjusting people in the vertical manner saves the land which can be used for other purposes such as building schools and hospitals.

For example, Lahore is a large city and the population of Lahore is almost 3-4 million which makes it as one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It is very difficult to find an apartment in Lahore to because the land is almost completely occupied by the housing and it is almost impossible to create new place. So the only solution that seems possible in this situation is to build tall buildings so this abruptly growing population can be adjusted.

Moreover, agricultural land is squeezing which can lead to food shortages in the future. With more land being used in housing, we are risking the future of agriculture.

In conclusion, Building tall apartments and homes is the way forward to compensate the surging population rather than occupying the land further and risking the food availability in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, focusing on land conservation and the preservation of agricultural space. However, the development is somewhat limited. While the example of Lahore is provided, it lacks specific detail or depth to fully support the argument. The conclusion is brief and summarizes the main points, but the essay would benefit from a more nuanced exploration of potential counter-arguments or a more detailed analysis of the social implications of high-rise living to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is clear and maintains a consistent position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover' and 'For example,' which help guide the reader through the argument. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the flow could be improved with more sophisticated linking phrases. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to ensure a smoother progression of ideas. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disconnected from the preceding ones.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'population density,' 'migrating,' and 'agricultural land.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'adjusting people in the vertical manner' and 'agricultural land is squeezing.' To improve, the writer should focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to demonstrate greater flexibility and control over word choice.

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 several grammatical errors, such as 'It is being difficult' (should be 'It is difficult'), 'built tall buildings' (should be 'build'), and 'occupied by the housing' (should be 'occupied by housing'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors, such as the double period at the end of the second paragraph. The writer demonstrates a basic command of grammar, but the frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and article usage is recommended.

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

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