Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-30

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)

Many individuals think that build tall tenement blocks is the best way to provide more and enough houses in large cities because it maximizing space and protect the environment, and I agree with this statement.

The primary factor is maximizing space because in big cities land is so scare and expensive, and not all the people could afford. They can live single and afford the house on a apartment and for low income people's it is the best way to run their life. For example, in developed cities many individuals are living there life in a apartments due to the value of land is so expensive, and also scare of land in large cities. In large cities, space is more important for transport systems and better services. But there are some negative affect on public which are crowded or noisy because many neighbor live together, and there is a lack of privacy and a lot of noise.

Another factor is protecting the environment. It helps to preserve the nature by controlling the population of houses in large cities and other places. If we build big tenement blocks then it save space and help environment for deforestation. But, if we establish more houses by cutting tress, then it effect the upcoming days and destroy the nature. For instance, developed countries always focus to build tall apartment to maximizing area and they build other things that will be helpful for there citizens.

In conclusion, I think that having tall apartment is the best way to provide enough homes because it protect environment and maximizing the space.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the argument regarding 'maximizing space' is mentioned multiple times without providing specific examples or nuanced analysis. The points about environmental protection are also quite general and could be better supported with more concrete evidence or logical links. While the main ideas are relevant, they are not fully extended, which limits the overall impact of the argument. To improve, you should focus on providing more detailed explanations and specific, real-world examples to support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'The primary factor is' and 'Another factor is' are used to transition, but the internal flow within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of tall buildings and the mention of 'negative affect' (effects) is abrupt. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'They can live single and afford the house on a apartment', where the pronoun 'they' lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'run their life', 'scare of land' (instead of scarcity), and 'upcoming days'. You rely on basic vocabulary, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic language. To achieve a higher score, you should work on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that words are used in their correct collocations, such as 'urban density' instead of 'maximizing space'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it maximizing space', 'it help environment'), article usage (e.g., 'on a apartment'), and pluralization (e.g., 'low income people's'). Furthermore, there are errors in word forms, such as 'negative affect' instead of 'negative effects'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be highly beneficial.

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

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