Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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)

Increasing number of opportunities and population rates are making it difficult to accommodate people in large cities. People claim that the best way to provide enough homes is by building tall apartment blocks. This essay will whether is a best way or not before giving my opinion.

People in large cities tend to live in compact spaces and localities. Due to the factors like growing population and the rise in number of opportunities, it becomes difficult to settle in a large city. As the space allotted to the housing and residential society is limited, it becomes difficult for people to search and settle. Furthermore, people have to adjust with the living conditions because of the limited availability of the houses.

To provide enough homes, people suggest tall apartment blocks. Though this could help people with the availability issues it can cause vulnerabilities. At the time of disasters, evacuation could risk people's life, elevator dependencies, disaster vulnerabilities, high maintenance cost, crowded surroundings, utility strain like the pressure on water pipes, sewage grids are the concerns to be considered while constructing a building. Additionally, lack of green space in such apartments could make living more compact and complex.

In my view, as the space in large cities are limited, expanding the infrastructure becomes a more suitable option. The apartment blocks made are to be precisely designed and constructed in case of emergencies or vulnerabilities. A proper map or design should be followed when constructing a high rise building.

In conclusion, constructing a high rise building with proper floor mapping, pipeline and grid structure, green space should be in taken in account.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt but lacks a clear, consistent position. While you acknowledge the challenges of high-rise living, your conclusion does not explicitly state whether you agree or disagree with the premise, which is a requirement for a high band score. The ideas are relevant, but the development is somewhat superficial. For example, you mention 'vulnerabilities' and 'disasters' but do not explain how these specifically relate to the feasibility of tall buildings compared to other housing solutions. To improve, ensure your thesis is clear in the introduction and that each body paragraph directly supports your stance with well-developed arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your train of thought. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition 'Furthermore' is used, but the connection between the limited space and the need for tall buildings could be smoother. Some sentences feel disjointed, such as the transition between the second and third paragraphs. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'infrastructure', 'vulnerabilities', and 'evacuation'. However, there is a lack of variety and some imprecise word choices, such as 'make living more compact and complex' or 'in taken in account'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary. Avoid repeating basic words and focus on using precise terminology to describe urban planning concepts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of the text. For example, the opening sentence 'This essay will whether is a best way' is grammatically incorrect and missing a verb. You also have issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the space in large cities are limited' (should be 'is'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by errors. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb forms to improve your accuracy.

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

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