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)

It is often contended that sufficient housing is possible if we establish a large number of multi-story buildings in metropolises. I strongly agree with this statement and I will elucidate the reasons behind my stance.

To begin with, building high--rise structures helps to reduce the congestion in urban cities. It can be seen that megacities have higher population due to numerous career options, which influence people to migrate from the countryside to urban areas if the government constructs tall apartment blocks, it is beneficial for the public to find convenient places and also overcome congestion. For example, recently it is difficult for developers to provide enough homes, in addition they build tall buildings in order to allow everyone to live peacefully.

Furthermore, it helps the economy of a particular city. If authorities invest money to buy a number of plots and establish apartment blocks, it is not profitable to the government or owner as well as it is costly for local people. For instance, the price rate of a small piece of land is expensive in megacities ,if landlords allocate funds in one tall building , it will reduce resources and money .Moreover, they sell at an affordable price apartments so middle class families can purchase without worry.

In contrast, high rise buildings require greater responsibility. It is constructed with caution because it depends on a heavy base so they tackle any natural climate and people live without fear of harm .Although, I firmly opine that it is much more favorable to establish tall apartment blocks for enough home requirement .

To sum up, it can be reiterated that it is significant to construct homes in urban cities to reduce congestion and increase economic value in with the greatest responsibilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat inconsistent. While the first body paragraph attempts to link high-rise buildings to congestion, the argument is slightly repetitive and lacks specific, well-explained examples. The second paragraph regarding economic benefits is a bit confusing, particularly the claim that building tall is 'not profitable' for the government, which contradicts the premise of the argument. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that your supporting points are logically sound and directly reinforce your central thesis without internal contradictions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' to signal transitions. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow within paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing or unclear referencing. For example, the transition between the economic argument and the conclusion feels abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'metropolises', 'congestion', and 'allocate funds'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'price rate of a small piece of land is expensive' and 'natural climate' (which should likely be 'natural disasters'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your argument. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary to express your ideas with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement, punctuation (such as the double hyphen in 'high--rise'), and run-on sentences. For instance, the sentence 'It can be seen that megacities have higher population due to numerous career options, which influence people to migrate from the countryside to urban areas if the government constructs tall apartment blocks...' is a comma splice that lacks clear structural boundaries. Focusing on sentence boundaries and basic grammatical accuracy will help improve your score.

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

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