Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27
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 5.0)
The idea of living in the urban scheme comes with some drawbacks, due to issues like congestion, high population of the city, and limited resources, paving the way for the idea of construction of tall apartment blocks in order to meet the housing demand.
From my perspective, having a rigid opinion on agreement or disagreement of the said idea is not a valid approach towards this complex idea.
Let's dissect both opinions. The proponents of the tall buildings or apartment blocks argue that it is necessary to build such blocks in order to meet the required demand; failing such demands, people can face issues like homelessness or drain of work force from the city due to absence of sanctuary. Conversely, people who dissent from the said idea are people who like to live in an open space, and apartments, which are tiny, cannot entertain such people.
Such individuals are motivated to build a ranch somewhere in a countryside and live there happily.
So the idea of constructing apartment blocks solely depends on the people who are willing to live there. It is their say that matters. However, building such blocks can tackle issues like homelessness and provide better housing, but it creates an environment where crimes can easily take place. The prime example for the argument is the Bronx apartments, Jeffery Dahmer's apartment.
making it an unsafe place to live.
people usually live there because of necessity and try to make their way out of it. these
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. Furthermore, the essay does not take a clear position; instead, it explicitly states that having a 'rigid opinion' is not a valid approach. In an IELTS essay, you are required to present a clear position throughout the response. The ideas presented are somewhat superficial, and the argument regarding crime is poorly supported by an inappropriate and irrelevant example (Jeffrey Dahmer). The essay ends abruptly, leaving the final sentence incomplete, which indicates a lack of proper development and conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a logical structure. While there is an attempt to introduce opposing views, the transition between ideas is disjointed. Paragraphing is highly problematic; the text is fragmented, with single sentences standing alone, such as 'making it an unsafe place to live.' and 'these'. This lack of proper paragraphing and the absence of effective cohesive devices make the flow of the argument difficult to follow. The referencing is often unclear, and the overall progression of ideas is not well-managed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally basic and sometimes imprecise. Phrases like 'urban scheme' and 'drain of work force' are used in ways that do not sound natural in an academic context. There is limited use of less common lexical items, and the attempt to use more sophisticated language often results in awkward collocations. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general topic, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage, subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'people who dissent... are people who like'), and punctuation mistakes. The final sentence is incomplete, which is a significant error. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors and the lack of control over complex structures prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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