Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28

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)

It is argued that the most effective way to provide sufficient houses for people in large cities is building high-rise apartment blocks. Although I agree with the statement to some extend I personally believe that it is not the only way to provide enough homes some other steps can be taken in that case.

Large cities can provide people with better career opportunities and a more modern and secured lifestyle. As a result nowadays most of the people prefer living in cities as cities can provide all the efficient facilities such as schools, shopping malls and reliable public transport. And for this growing number of population it has become important to provide enough homes. Building more apartments specially the large apartments can certainly provide more place for the residents. That is to say the more apartments are going to be there the more people can live in cities. Therefore, more apartment can be seen in the cities today compared to the past. For example, as far as you can see there will be rows high rise buildings and apartments and shopping malls in the cities.

I believe that building more tall apartments can not be the only way to provide homes. People can make their small homes much more organized by following a perfect architecture. It can be possible to use a small piece of land through a proper planning. For instance, a small area can be converted into more apartments by reducing the unnecessary space between them.

In conclusion, although increasing number of buildings can be a step forward to provide homes for more people but we cannot rely on this only.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the role of high-rise buildings in urban housing. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you acknowledge the benefits of high-rise living, your counter-argument regarding 'perfect architecture' and 'reducing unnecessary space' is vague and lacks concrete evidence or logical depth. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack the analytical depth required for a higher band. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a well-developed argument with specific, illustrative examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'That is to say', and 'For instance'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. The referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas within the second paragraph is slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would help elevate the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'high-rise apartment blocks' and 'public transport'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary (e.g., 'good', 'small', 'enough'). There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'secured lifestyle' instead of 'secure lifestyle' and 'specially' instead of 'especially'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise, academic vocabulary and collocations to demonstrate a wider range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'to some extend' (extent), 'most of the people' (most people), and 'more apartment can be seen' (more apartments). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and pluralization to improve your accuracy.

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

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