Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29

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)

These days, people are moving towards cities from rural areas for better facilities. So, the population in cities is rising. The efficient way to provide adequate homes in big cities is to build tall buildings having flats.

I completely agree to this statement because it is very efficient and affordable. Moreover, it is space friendly, it occupies very less space. Instead of building houses at different spaces we can have enough homes in a single building. For instance, a tall apartment block.

It is the need of hour to have enough homes in large cities because the population of big cities is increasing enormously. So, the economic way to provide adequate homes is to build tall apartment blocks. For instance, if you buy an apartment in a tall building, it would be economical rather than buying or building a separate house.

But if, we provide homes by building separate houses, than it will occupy more space. Most of the people prefer living in apartments because they are budget friendly so, we should focus on building tall apartment flats.

We should leave the space for building factories, warehouses, shopping malls, hospitals, schools and colleges. Because with the increase in population, there is a great rush of people in such buildings. So, we should focus on the construction of the above mentioned buildings to make space for all people.

As per my experience, people are more likely to live in rental apartments because most of them have to live there for a short period of time for job purposes.

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. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention efficiency and space-saving, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, you mention 'economic' benefits multiple times without explaining the underlying factors, such as land value or infrastructure costs. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed examples or explore counter-arguments, such as the social impact of high-density living or the environmental benefits of vertical urban planning, rather than repeating the same points about space and cost.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. Many sentences are disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, the transition 'But if, we provide homes...' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Additionally, the final paragraph introduces a new point about rental apartments that feels disconnected from the previous argument about urban planning. Improving the use of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is functional but basic, often relying on repetitive phrasing such as 'enough homes', 'big cities', and 'tall apartment blocks'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'space friendly' or 'great rush of people', which do not sound natural in an academic context. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to urban development, such as 'high-density housing', 'urban sprawl', or 'cost-effective', and avoid repeating the same simple adjectives throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often marred by errors in punctuation and grammar, such as 'But if, we provide homes by building separate houses, than it will occupy more space.' The misuse of 'than' instead of 'then' and the unnecessary comma after 'if' are frequent issues. To improve, focus on mastering complex sentence structures using subordinating conjunctions (e.g., 'although', 'whereas', 'because') and ensure subject-verb agreement and correct article usage throughout your writing.

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