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)

Some people believe that constructing tall building comprising multiple flats is the finest way to provide homes in huge urban areas. Personally, I do agree with this because tall building occupy less space than banglows and it also have multiple environmental bentifts.

The most important reason for favoring tall residential building is that tall buildings can accomodate maximum number of people whereas banglow can accomodate few family members. Tall building also have multiple facilities under one roof such as, gym, small grocery store, indoor sports and small area for plantation on the top of the building. By constructing tall buildings we can increase the capacity of city to facilitate more people because with the passage of time our needs are increasing such as moving to cities for job opportunities and educational purposes. For example, in Rawalpindi due to multiple detached houses, ability of city decrease to withhold more citizens.

The environmental benefits are another reason to support high rise residential buildings. This will reduce ratio clearing of land or deforestation. More green areas will provide shade and reduce climate changes. Trees are also habitat to multiple birds and another important function of trees is to purify air which can't be possible by cutting them down to construct buildings. For example, in Islamabad, temperature always stay chilly because huge area is covered with lush green trees.

To conclude, building tall residential flats in large cities is best option to provide more homes. This not only provide more space but also facilitate with multiple environmental benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, focusing on space efficiency and environmental benefits. However, the development is somewhat limited. While the argument regarding space is clear, the environmental argument is slightly contradictory, as the student claims high-rises reduce deforestation but then suggests that building them prevents trees from being cut down, which is logically circular. The examples provided, such as the reference to Rawalpindi and Islamabad, are relevant but could be more deeply explained to fully support the arguments. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task but lacks the depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a progression of ideas, moving from space efficiency to environmental concerns. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'tall building' or 'tall buildings' is used at the start of almost every sentence in the second paragraph, which makes the flow feel slightly stilted. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between ideas could be smoother to improve the overall flow and readability of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'bentifts' (benefits), 'accomodate' (accommodate), and 'banglows' (bungalows). The word choice is often repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'tall buildings' and 'multiple'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban areas' and 'deforestation', the range is limited. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and ensuring accurate spelling of common academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues, such as 'tall building occupy' (should be 'buildings occupy') and 'it also have' (should be 'they also have'). There are also errors with articles and pluralization, such as 'ability of city decrease' and 'habitat to multiple birds'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic grammar rules and proofreading is necessary.

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

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