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)

In this period of modernity, the best way to provide adequate homes in big cities is to build tall apartment blocks. With the increasing number of people in the cities and limited space, it is very hard to provide accommodation for everyone other than building tall apartment blocks. However, in my opinion, I strongly disagree with this notion, and my opinion will be discussed in further paragraphs with a suitable conclusion.

Supporting my disagreement, I firmly believe that increasing city limits is the key to providing enough homes in large cities. Tall apartment blocks may provide enough homes, but they will take away the feeling of homes from people. To cite an example, a tall building may provide accommodation to a lot of people, but apartments are very small, congested, and have very few facilities, such as a backyard or a swimming pool. Furthermore, if people have their own house, then a whole family can live under one roof, which would create a sense of bonding. For instance, people who live together tend to be closer as a family, unlike people who live in apartments.

Explaining another supporting point in favor of my disagreement, it is true that tall buildings may provide homes to a lot of people, but it often comes at a cost. Tall buildings are more prone to damage by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. As a result, it can lead to unavoidable catastrophies.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that increasing city limits is more important than building tall apartment blocks. While tall apartments can be homes to a lot of people, they are not the only solution to provide adequate accommodation in big cities. I believe that the aforementioned points are strongly supporting my viewpoint.

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 somewhat limited. The argument regarding 'increasing city limits' (urban sprawl) is presented as an alternative but lacks depth or consideration of the environmental and logistical consequences of such a policy. The point about natural disasters is also quite general and lacks a strong logical link to why tall buildings are inherently unsuitable compared to other housing models. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced arguments that acknowledge the complexity of urban planning rather than relying on generalized claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the progression between the idea of 'family bonding' and 'natural disasters' is abrupt. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be strengthened by ensuring each sentence builds more effectively on the previous one to create a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their opinion clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'congested' and 'catastrophies' (note the spelling error: 'catastrophes'). However, the range is somewhat limited, and some phrasing is repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'provide enough homes' and 'tall apartment blocks'. To improve, you should aim for more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the best way to provide adequate homes in big cities is to build tall apartment blocks' (which is a bit clunky) and 'it often comes at a cost'. There are also minor punctuation and spelling issues. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, and while the errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining sentence variety would be beneficial.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.