Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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)

The most efficient way to provide enough number of homes in big cities is by constructing tall apartments. In my opinion, rural areas especially in big cities, population is increasing day by day, so to accommodate all the people tall apartments play a crucial role.

Nowadays, it is getting difficult for people to find a place to live in big cities because of shortage of homes. Even though people have money to afford the house, but there are not many houses available. For instance, students moving to Germany face this problem as they do not have enough apartments to accommodate all the students. If tall buildings are built it will get easier for students to find a room to stay in.

Moreover, due to the increase of population it is problematic for everyone to build a house of their own as big cities are over crowded, expensive and do not have empty space left in them. So tall apartment buildings can help by providing every other person a house. As it has plenty of space inside it and many people can get a house in it at the same time. Less ground space is used and more homes can be provided. For example, a family trying to move into New York City faces difficulties for finding a place to live in, but due to so many tall apartment blocks in New York City, it gets easier to find a place to live.

In conclusion, I believe that building tall apartment blocks in big cities is very important for accommodating everyone, as there are not enough spaces to build new homes and it is expensive as well so tall buildings can solve this problem.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, focusing on space efficiency and population density. However, the development is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the argument about space-saving is mentioned in both the second and third paragraphs without significant new insight. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct supporting point rather than restating the same concept. The examples provided, such as students in Germany and housing in New York, are relevant but could be more deeply integrated to illustrate the 'extent' of your agreement more thoroughly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to signal the progression of your argument. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the opening sentence of the second paragraph, 'Nowadays, it is getting difficult...', lacks a strong link to the previous paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally from the previous one would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'population density' (implied) and 'accommodate'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing such as 'big cities' and 'get easier'. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'provide enough number of homes' instead of 'provide a sufficient number of homes'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and avoid repetitive word choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is consistently clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Even though people have money to afford the house, but there are not many houses available' (a double conjunction error) and 'difficulties for finding' instead of 'difficulty in finding'. Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction. To move up, focus on reducing these recurring errors and increasing the variety of complex sentence structures, such as using conditional clauses or passive voice more accurately.

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