Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05
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)
As the population is increasing day by day, people are migrating from rural areas to cities for better jobs and opportunities. Therefore, providing enough homes has become a major challenge. Some people believe that building tall apartment blocks can reduce this problem. I also believe that building tall apartment blocks can reduce this problem and provide shelter for many people; therefore, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
On the one hand, some people believe that building tall apartment blocks has disadvantages because it can cause many problems. For example, tall apartment blocks can cause overcrowding and put pressure on public services such as roads and hospitals. They may also reduce green spaces. People have to wait for the lift for a while. If there is no lift facility, elderly people may face difficulty getting to their apartments.
On the other hand, it is widely believed that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Building tall apartment blocks provides homes for many people and also saves land. Apartments are built on a relatively small area of land but can contain many homes, allowing more people to live in the same space.
Overall, building tall apartment blocks can help overcome the problem of providing enough homes in large cities by providing shelter and affordable homes for many people. In my opinion, the advantages of this approach outweigh its disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, coming in at 224 words. This under-length significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the main arguments regarding overcrowding and land efficiency are relevant, they are presented in a somewhat superficial manner. The ideas are not sufficiently extended or supported with specific examples or deeper analysis, which is necessary for a higher band score. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Overall' to signal transitions between ideas. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the conclusion, which restates the introduction without adding new insight. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the links between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. To achieve a higher score, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph develops a distinct, well-connected point.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'building tall apartment blocks' are used repeatedly, which limits the range of your lexical resource. There is little evidence of less common or idiomatic vocabulary. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and topic-specific collocations. For example, instead of repeating 'building tall apartment blocks', you could use terms like 'high-rise residential developments', 'vertical housing solutions', or 'urban densification'. Expanding your range will help you demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there is a lack of variety in sentence patterns. Most sentences follow a standard subject-verb-object structure. There are no major grammatical errors, but the range of structures is limited. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences, passive voice, or relative clauses, while maintaining the current level of accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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