Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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)

As far as this topic is concerned, i would like to say that the impact of building tall apartment blocks in large cities is the best way to provide homes which has always been debatable and has now become more controversial with many people claiming that it is beneficial while others reject this notion. The substantial influence of this trend has sparked the controversy over the potential impact in the recent years. From my perspective, the former proposition appears to be more rational. This essay will further elaborate my views for favoring the positive or negative impact of this trend and thus will lead to a logical conclusion.

Analyzing the statement further, the primary reason behind this is due to a huge demand of accommodation in urban areas. As more and more people are moving to big cities for better job opportunities and quality of life. In my experience, when i was in Lahore for my studies it was very hard for me to find a separate apartment for me , I have to live in a shared accommodation which is not appreciated by everyone. Categorically discussing, it cannot be ignored that the new homes are more in demand than ever. Moving further, it is pertinent to mention that it is the basic duty of the government to build a tall residential buildings in order to provide affordable accommodations.

To encapsulate, I would like to appeal to the learned figures to come forward, focus their gaze at this matter and launch a vigorous campaign to reform it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but lacks sufficient development. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the body paragraphs are underdeveloped. You mention the demand for housing and your personal experience in Lahore, but you fail to explore the 'extent' of your agreement or provide a balanced view or deeper analysis of why tall buildings are the 'best' solution compared to alternatives. The conclusion is abrupt and does not summarize the main points, instead introducing a vague appeal to 'learned figures.' To improve, ensure each body paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by detailed supporting arguments and examples that directly relate to the prompt's core question.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moving further' and 'To encapsulate,' the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The paragraphing is insufficient; the essay would benefit from a more distinct separation of ideas, perhaps dedicating one paragraph to the benefits of high-rise living and another to addressing potential drawbacks or alternative solutions. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical connection between the personal anecdote about Lahore and the broader argument about government policy could be strengthened to improve overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use some appropriate phrases like 'substantial influence' and 'urban areas,' but there is a reliance on repetitive or slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'the former proposition appears to be more rational' and 'focus their gaze at this matter.' There are also some minor issues with word choice, such as 'reform it,' which does not clearly link back to the topic of building homes. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'i would like to say' (capitalization), 'a huge demand of accommodation' (preposition error), 'build a tall residential buildings' (article/pluralization error), and 'I have to live' (tense inconsistency). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and consistent verb tense. Incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional or passive constructions, while ensuring they are error-free, will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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