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)

I partially agree withe the statement that the most efficient way to provide enough homes in highly dense cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

High rise buildings do increases the number of people staying in an area without having them adjust in congested places but they should not be the only solution.

Cities have limited land and large number of citizens living the reason being cities provide more and various jobs. High rise buildings can be built near public transport, schools, universities, hospitals or workplaces making the life easier for people residing in those apartments.

I have stayed in the city Bengaluru for 6 years where I have seen this solution working. Quarters near their office, apartments near metro stations and a separate area where most of the IT companies are located and as people from different places come to work at these companies, many PGs are also located near these companies.

The reason I partially agree but not fully is, this solution of building tall apartments affect quality of life. Tall building feel crowded and provide very limited private outdoor space. High rise building can cause problems with noise, privacy and elevators.

Other solutions exist such as building medium rise buildings with combination of individual homes. Innovating old building, developing transport system to make the city less congested and expanding the development to outskirts of the city can be considered rather than just focusing on building tall complexes.

I lived in the city of Trivandrum for one year, it is located in Kerala, India. I have seen the suggested plan implemented and working properly. It solves the issues such as heavy traffic like in Bangalore and reducing the number of less accessible areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have clearly stated a position of partial agreement and addressed both the benefits of high-rise buildings and alternative solutions. Your ideas are relevant and supported by personal examples from Bengaluru and Trivandrum. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that tall buildings affect the 'quality of life,' you could have expanded more on the sociological or environmental impacts to reach a higher band. The response addresses all parts of the prompt, but the depth of analysis remains at a functional level rather than a fully extended one.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the benefits of high-rises to the drawbacks and finally to alternative solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'this solution') is sometimes slightly ambiguous. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'highly dense,' 'congested,' and 'accessible.' There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'Innovating old building' (should be 'Renovating') and 'High rise buildings do increases' (should be 'increase'). While you successfully convey your meaning, the vocabulary is generally functional and lacks the precision or sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'withe the statement,' 'High rise buildings do increases,' and 'Tall building feel crowded.' Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your argument, they indicate a lack of control over more complex structures. Increasing your accuracy in basic grammar and proofreading for small slips would significantly improve your score.

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

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