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)

It is widely believe that tall apartment is best for large cities to cover up less space and provide enough homes. While high rise-building can accommodate huge amount of people and invade people privacy. I totally disagree with this concept since, children don't have space to play. In addition, a lot of noise and it's cause to mental or physical health as well. There is no objection regarding that high-rise building provide a lot of accommodation to people but this system damage people mentally.

On the one hand, there are a lot of cities that only have flats rather than suburban. Furthermore, huge amount of people are in one roof and the people who own an apartment they don't have space to take fresh breath in air because they don't have their own roof. One of the disadvantage is the place is so overcrowded and people don't have privacy and there are numerous voice of people. For suppose, a aged person who is living in an apartment and he is not well so, this is the good place for him health. And the biggest problem most of people face is stairs. I consider that their is a lift in most of apartments so it's so convenient for people who are not able to use stair and for the people who are use lift in their daily life. Although what's about those people who are not able to take a lift because of claustrophobic. So, they are still using stairs and plenty of apartment have no lift and what about the people who don't have even option between choosing a lift or stairs.

On the other hand, the people who are living in suburban are enjoying their life. Moreover, they are more happy rather than the people who are living in an apartment. You are with your family and take pure air because you own a roof and a courtyard.

People who have suburban , they don't have any issue regarding expensive bills because they equipped their roof with solar panels.

It's your choice to make your house detached or single story house and in house there are plenty of rooms and everyone have their own space to rest. You design your home by your own choice. No one will you because you own your home. When you come home from a tired day you need some privacy and home gives you a comfortable place to rest.

So, overall I prefer to living in suburban rather then living in tall apartment blocks. As suburban gives you more privacy and place to rest. Additionally you Utilize your roof for solar panels and courtyard to take fresh air instead of an apartment where you don't have any privacy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you mention health and privacy concerns, the arguments are often repetitive or lack logical depth. For instance, the paragraph regarding stairs and lifts is confusing and does not clearly support the main argument. The focus shifts between the disadvantages of high-rises and the advantages of suburban living, but the connection between these points could be more structured. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on one clear, well-supported argument rather than listing several loosely connected points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression within them is often weak. Cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', 'Additionally'), but they are sometimes used incorrectly or mechanically. For example, the transition 'For suppose' is non-standard, and the paragraph about stairs is difficult to follow due to a lack of clear signposting. Referencing is also problematic; it is often unclear what 'this system' or 'they' refers to in context. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each sentence flows naturally from the previous one will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'huge amount', 'good place', and 'big problem'. There are also several instances of awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'invade people privacy' (should be 'invade people's privacy') and 'numerous voice of people' (should be 'noise'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to urban planning and housing, and pay closer attention to word forms and pluralisation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'tall apartment is best'), article usage (e.g., 'in one roof'), and sentence fragments or run-on sentences. For example, 'And the biggest problem most of people face is stairs' is grammatically weak. While you attempt complex structures, they are often faulty, which limits your score. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb forms will help you move to a higher band.

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

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