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 move 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 buildings.
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 occupy less space. Furthermore, the cities people have access to local facilities. There are many educational centres in the urban areas. Additionally, they are not worried about their children's education. This is because children pursue higher education while living with parents. However, they are not worried about the health related issues because there are many hospitals in the cities such as 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 large buidings the majority of the people's come towards the city area. This is because the population of city had increased. Although, living in same buildings may affect the privacy of the families. For instance, the natural diasters may affect the tall building more. However, their chance of fallen would be higher.
overall, In my opinion both situations had some impacts on the people's living. I believe that length should not be more than 2 ,3 apartments. It may create positive impact on environment as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt but lacks depth. While you state a position, the arguments are underdeveloped and occasionally drift into irrelevant topics, such as the availability of hospitals or general employment opportunities, rather than focusing on the housing solution itself. The conclusion is contradictory, as you suggest that building height should be limited to 2-3 stories, which directly opposes your initial agreement with building tall apartment blocks. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses strictly on the prompt and provides clear, logical support for your stated position. Avoid introducing new, unrelated ideas in the conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. Transitions are sometimes used incorrectly or mechanically, such as starting a sentence with 'on one hand' without a clear follow-up structure. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between ideas is disjointed. For example, the transition from discussing housing to discussing hospital facilities is abrupt and lacks a cohesive link. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that links back to the main argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There is frequent repetition of basic words like 'people's' and 'areas'. Some word choices are inaccurate, such as 'length should not be more than 2, 3 apartments', where 'height' would be the correct term. Additionally, there are minor errors in word form and collocation, such as 'natural diasters' (spelling) and 'chance of fallen'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning and housing, and focus on using synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'housing demand are increasing'), incorrect use of articles ('A high rise apartments'), and punctuation errors. The sentence 'However, their chance of fallen would be higher' is grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage, and practice constructing more complex sentences with accurate punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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