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)
Nowadays, the majority of the people moving towards cities to enhance their career. Because there are limited facilities in the rural area. To some extent, I believes that its the most appropriate approach to build multi-story apartment building.
on one hand, high-rise apartments have significant benefits, because they can accommodate a large number of people's in the limited area. This is particularly beneficial for the cities where land is scarce & housing demand are increasing. For instance, A high rise apartments provides homes to many individuals which occupied less space. Furthermore, the cities people have access to local facilities. There are many educational centres in the urban areas. Additionally they are not worries about their children's education. This is because their children's pursue higher education while living with parents. However, they are not worries about health related issue because there are many hospital in the cities such cardiology.
There are far more employment opportunities in the urban areas than in the rural areas.
On the other hand, there are few drawbacks of it. However, when we construct larg buidings the majority of the people's came towards the city area. This is because the population of city haa increased. Although, living in same buildings may affected the privacy of the families. For instance, the natural diasters may affected the tall building more. Their chance of fallen would be higher.
overall, In my opinion both situations had some impacts on the people's living. I belive that length should not be more then 2 ,3 apartments. It may created positive impact on environment as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits and drawbacks of high-rise apartments. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you mention land scarcity and employment, the arguments regarding 'educational centres' and 'health related issue' are somewhat tangential to the core issue of housing density. The position is stated in the introduction but becomes slightly contradictory in the conclusion, where you suggest a height limit of '2, 3 apartments', which undermines your initial support for tall blocks. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses strictly on the prompt and provides clear, logical support for your stated position.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently interrupted by disjointed sentences and unclear transitions. For example, the transition 'However, when we construct larg buidings...' does not logically follow the previous paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore' and 'On the other hand', but they are often applied mechanically or incorrectly. The referencing is sometimes confusing, particularly in the second paragraph where the subject shifts abruptly between 'cities people' and 'their children'. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word formation and collocation, such as 'cities people' instead of 'city dwellers' and 'health related issue' instead of 'healthcare issues'. You also use informal or imprecise phrasing like 'not worries about'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations (e.g., 'urban infrastructure' rather than 'local facilities') and avoid repeating the same words in close proximity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('housing demand are increasing'), incorrect pluralisation ('people's', 'children's'), and tense inconsistencies ('may affected'). Sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complexity, such as 'Because there are limited facilities in the rural area' (a sentence fragment). To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over basic grammar, particularly verb forms and pluralisation, and work on constructing error-free complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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