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)

It is widely argued around the world that only possible solution to manage the problem of housing in large cities is to build high-rise buildings. I agree with the statement to some extant because i think high-rise building will create other problems related to environment and put pressure on the infra-structure of large cities. there are many other methods to address that problem such as expanding the large cities.

On the one hand, tall apartments are the possible solution to overcome the housing issues in cities. It will help to accommodate more people in small space and in premium locations. For example it is now common in big urban areas that the government and private enterprise buy some land and build hundred of apartments in a building. However, it has some major draw backs such as it increases the crowding roads, in hospitals and schools, which leads to bad outcomes. Hence, i think that is a possible solution but not the best.

On the other hand, expending development of large cities to nearby villages will be a great solution. which will help to reduce over crowding and create employment facilities for the people, so that will reduce the migration as well as address the problem of housing. For instance, It is a proven technique in wealthy countries to reduce migration and provide traditional housing system to people. In Japan, they use this method to develop the areas nearby cities which address the problem of housing and reduce migration.

In a nutshell, i would argue high-rise buildings are the possible solution but at a limit otherwise it will create many problems. Therefore, it is crucial to take balanced approach to provide homes in cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, arguing that high-rise buildings are a possible but not the 'best' solution. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of infrastructure pressure and the alternative of urban expansion. However, the development is somewhat limited. The discussion on infrastructure is brief, and the example regarding Japan is a bit vague. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details or deeper analysis of why high-rise living might be inferior to urban expansion, rather than just stating it as a fact. The position is consistent throughout, but the arguments could be more thoroughly extended.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In a nutshell' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are minor issues with punctuation and sentence structure that occasionally disrupt the logical progression. For example, the sentence 'which will help to reduce over crowding...' is a fragment that should be connected to the previous thought. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that every sentence is grammatically complete would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accommodate', 'premium locations', 'private enterprise', and 'migration'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'expending development' (should be 'expanding development') and 'crowding roads' (should be 'traffic congestion'). There are also some spelling errors, such as 'extant' instead of 'extent'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on learning collocations and ensuring precise word usage in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the infra-structure', 'the problem of housing'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. For instance, 'i think high-rise building will create' should be 'high-rise buildings will create'. Additionally, there are issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors and practicing the correct use of articles and pluralization.

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