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)
People argued that to meet the demand of homes in big cities we need to build large building blocks to accommodate more people.
In my opinion somehow this can be a solution to rising demand of the houses in the cities because more people are moving into large cities from small towns and villages for different purposes like job and studies.
Building tall apartments blocks can accommodate more people, because it will cut the demand of land to build more homes. By building more blocks in a building we can give more homes to people on the same land.
However, we cannot be totally agree with this point because, despite having lot of benefits of tall building there are also some disadvantages present in the society that we cannot neglect.
When people live in tall apartments there will be difficulty for the senior citizens to move outside due to certain health reasons.
Big families cannot stay in those apartments due to less space.
When we built homes on ground we have lot options for gardening purposes but we cannot meet them in the apartments.
In conclusion to this every thing has its cons and pros. Building separate homes need more land due to rising population and it is very difficult in the big cities to meet this need so more apartments in the building is a good approach. Building tall apartments can meet the need of housing but it also can trouble some people. In natural disasters, there is a high risk of falling or damaging of large building.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that tall buildings save land and accommodate more people, the points regarding senior citizens and gardening are presented as brief statements rather than fully extended arguments. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations or specific examples to support your claims. Your position is clear, but the overall depth of analysis is restricted, leading to a somewhat superficial treatment of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'In conclusion' to transition between ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the benefits of tall buildings and the disadvantages is abrupt. Improving the use of linking phrases and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying on simple terms like 'big' and 'good'. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'we cannot meet them' when referring to gardening options. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to urban planning and housing, which would demonstrate a higher level of lexical control and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'People argued that' (should be 'argue'), 'we cannot be totally agree' (should be 'we cannot totally agree'), and 'every thing has its cons and pros' (should be 'pros and cons'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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