Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02
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 the contemporary world, population is rapidly growing in metro cities . Many people believe that constructing tall apartments buildings is the best solution to solve the issue of housing shortage in urban areas. In my opinion ,i partially agree with this statement . While vertical expansion helps to save more space and accommodate more people ,it should not be the only solution .
On the one hand ,high rise building is beneficial for overcrowded cities. Because the population in large metropolitan areas are growing rapidly and lack of space is the main problem of the workers and employees, they suffers from high rent on horizontal houses . Therefore by constructing tall apartment block, hundreds of families live there in a very low budget . This helps in reducing homelessness of people .
On the other hand , relying only on tall buildings can create several problem . It effect the environment conditions , high pressure on land and city infrastructure ,leading to traffic jams in the apartments and water and electricity issues. For instance thousands of people live in high buildings flat and they suffered from shortage of water once in a weak and pay a high amount of electricity bills. Government should developed and expand metro routes for the public to easily travel outside the city.
In conclusion , although tall buildings save space and provide accommodation to people with affordable price. But it consist pressure on city infrastructure and pollute the quantity of air ,this may cause the atmosphere and environment . In my opinion , making towns near the city is the best approach to tackle this problem effectively .
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 by taking a clear position ('partially agree'). The ideas are relevant, such as space efficiency and environmental concerns. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of high-rise buildings are mentioned, the explanation of the drawbacks is slightly repetitive, focusing heavily on infrastructure issues like water and electricity. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced arguments, perhaps discussing the social impact or the architectural limitations of high-rise living in greater detail. The conclusion introduces a new idea ('making towns near the city'), which is a good suggestion but should have been integrated into the body paragraphs as part of a balanced argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, in the second paragraph, the transition 'Therefore by constructing tall apartment block' is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are linked with simple conjunctions, which limits the sophistication of the progression. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will help improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary world', 'housing shortage', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'pollute the quantity of air' (which is unnatural) and 'it consist pressure' (should be 'exerts pressure'). Some phrasing is repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'tall buildings' and 'high buildings'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('population... are growing', 'they suffers'), article usage ('the main problem of the workers'), and tense consistency ('Government should developed'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces placed before commas in several instances. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly subject-verb agreement and verb forms after modal verbs.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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