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)

This is a very complicated subject as it does not have a singular answer to the problem as the solutions from societies, cities, countries and their socioeconomic conditions, landmass, policies and bunch of other variables. It is a very viable solution in places with higher population density especially metro cities where populations can easily cross millions but not the most effective solution in a countryside or sparsely populated areas.

In the first scenario we can look into the situation in a metropolitan city like New York, London, etc. The major influx of people to these cities is because of the plethora of opportunities these cities can provide. There is a fundamental need to sustain the life of all these people. The rising house market prices and the change in the economy has made it very difficult for young professions to buy or build homes in the traditional manner. Tall apartment blocks are a much relaxing alternative that exists in today's world to help young people to find an abode.

In case of countrysides or place of unusual terrains, people mostly tend to engage in agrarian or local livelihoods. Most of them also hustle with different side jobs like animal husbandry, horticulture, diary farming ,etc. These people need large areas of land to do their work and tend to the animals as well as their businesses. A tall apartment building kind of lifestyle would be a treat to their very livelihood and jobs. The ecological damage that can bring to the the green and fresh countryside also cannot be overlooked.

Then we need to take into account the socioeconomic, political conditions of a nation. A more developed country can provide for the building of large apartment complexes because their economy allows so. But if we shift out focus to a lower developing country these projects are ambitious as the primary concern is the natural well-being of it citizens with investment in nutrition, medicine and related factors. In essence a country or society should consult with their economists, urban planners and other specialized know;edge research people before pouring cash, time and resources in building such projects

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the suitability of tall apartment blocks in different contexts. However, the position is somewhat ambiguous; while you acknowledge the complexity, you do not clearly state whether you agree or disagree with the statement that this is the 'best' way. The ideas are relevant, but the development is uneven. For instance, the discussion on 'lower developing countries' is a bit vague and lacks specific examples or a direct link to the housing debate. To improve, ensure you take a clear stance in the introduction and maintain that perspective throughout, providing more focused support for your arguments rather than listing general variables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from metropolitan cities to rural areas and finally to socioeconomic considerations. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In the first scenario' or 'In essence'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'a treat to their very livelihood', which does not accurately convey the intended meaning of being a detriment or threat. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would help the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary, including terms like 'metropolitan', 'agrarian', and 'socioeconomic'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'a bunch of other variables' is too informal for an academic essay, and 'a treat to their very livelihood' is an incorrect usage of 'treat' when you likely meant 'threat'. There are also minor errors like 'diary farming' (instead of 'dairy') and 'specialized know;edge' (typo). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and proofreading for spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'as the solutions from... landmass, policies and bunch of other variables' (missing a verb/predicate), 'young professions' (should be 'professionals'), and 'shift out focus' (should be 'our'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas in lists and a semicolon typo. While you attempt complex sentences, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered consistently accurate. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small articles would be beneficial.

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