Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01

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)

In today's rapidly changing world, homes in large cities has become a matter of considerable debate. While some believe that apartment blocks are best as they cover less space. While other argue.

However, population is increasing year by year. And the resources to live are decreasing. As a space to build homes is decreasing. Which is not a good for our future. Many people argue that building tall apartment is far better than building homes. Only limited people can live in home. But multiple families can live in tall apartment block. By this about one hundred families can live only in one building. And if these families will build homes. It will require acres of land to build home for them.

Moreover, living in a building can also solve the problem of parking as well. As every building give parking area for residents. In large busy cities parking is one of the main issue of residents. Even sometimes, they have to pay for parking. By this one of the main issue of residents will be solved. And by tall apartment blocks less land will be covered for many apartments.

Even in many large busy cities the conception of homes is almost finished and there only tall apartment blocks as many people or families can live in one building. For instance, large cities like TOKYO, MUMBAI, NEWYORK, and BERLIN. These cities have tall apartment blocks because of the shortage of land. And it also really expensive to build a home in large cities as well. And living in tall apartment can give you view of whole city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits of tall apartment blocks, but the development is limited. While you present a clear position, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the point about parking is mentioned, but it is not fully connected to the broader urban planning context. The introduction is incomplete, as the first paragraph contains sentence fragments ('While some believe... While other argue.') that fail to establish a clear thesis statement. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your ideas are fully explored with more sophisticated reasoning rather than just listing benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently interrupted by fragmented sentences and awkward transitions. Many sentences start with 'And' or 'But', which makes the writing feel informal and disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often applied incorrectly or in a mechanical way, such as the repetitive use of 'By this'. The lack of a proper introduction and conclusion makes the overall structure feel underdeveloped. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'good for our future' and 'main issue'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'conception of homes' (likely meaning 'concept') and 'every building give parking' (subject-verb agreement error). To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to urban development, such as 'urban density', 'infrastructure', 'sustainability', or 'high-rise developments', and work on improving your collocation skills.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are numerous sentence fragments (e.g., 'While other argue.') and issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'homes in large cities has become', 'every building give'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with many sentences ending prematurely. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and verb tense consistency.

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

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