Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 has been ongoing debates on urban developments. However, a section of society deems that, the better approach is to built homes in the modern cities as compared to developing sky-scrappers in the countryside. Although I partially agree with the given aforementioned notion because these things will creates major issues, which will be highlighted in the upcoming paragraphs.

To start with, there are ample of benefits to society if infrastructure builder focus on building apartments in cities. Firstly, job seeker will have more opportunities, if they find suitable accommodations into the cities than they would not have to travel hundreds of miles from home to job. Thus, travelling can make daily routines to reach job or home more exhausting for the individuals. A good example of these is people living in rural area have to wait for buses and train to do job in the urban areas. Another reason is that, children have the chances to live in high rise building and get access to modern amenities as well as enrolls themselves to the prestigious big universities while living in cities.

On the contrary, despites the advantages there are many underlying issues which should be taken serious by governments and building constructors. One major problem of tall building is that people have to compromise their perceptions towards living into spacious room. Moreover, these tall building be detrimental to human health because these things not only creates mass population in cities but also would be difficult for elderly health. Hence, they have to climb the stairs if building does not have elevators.

To sum up the discussion, even though living in tall building can improve overall growth of a person who are working and the youngsters have chances to access to better facilities which is not accessible in the countryside areas. I firmly reckon that, living in modern tall building has both pros and cons.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt, but the position is inconsistent. While you state you 'partially agree', the development of ideas is somewhat confused. For instance, you mention the benefits of city living but then pivot to the disadvantages of tall buildings without clearly linking these to the central question of whether they are the 'best way' to provide homes. Some ideas, such as the mention of 'sky-scrappers in the countryside' in the introduction, are irrelevant to the prompt. To improve, ensure your position is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently supported throughout each paragraph, focusing specifically on the effectiveness of tall apartment blocks as a housing solution.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear transitions. While you use cohesive devices like 'To start with' and 'On the contrary', the connection between sentences is often weak. For example, the transition from discussing job seekers to children's education in the second paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the use of 'these things' in the introduction, which lacks a specific antecedent. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a single, clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation. Phrases like 'ongoing debates on urban developments' and 'infrastructure builder' are slightly unnatural. You also use 'sky-scrappers' (spelling error: skyscrapers) and 'mass population' (incorrect collocation for 'overcrowding'). While you attempt to use some academic vocabulary, the lack of precision often hinders the sophistication of your argument. To reach a higher band, focus on learning collocations and using more precise terminology related to urban planning and housing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('job seeker will have', 'these things will creates', 'children... enrolls themselves') and article usage. Sentence structures are often repetitive or contain errors in clause construction, such as 'if they find suitable accommodations into the cities than they would not have to travel'. While you attempt some complex sentences, they often contain errors that affect clarity. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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