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)
Many people argue that best way to provide maximum homes in busy cities is to build tall apartment blocks. While some believe that homes are best option.
Firstly, as the population is growing year by year, but the resources to live life are decreasing. Which will impact people really badly. And we have to figure it out soon, otherwise the outcome will be really bad. One of the main issue that people are going through nowadays is shortage of land. This issue is mainly highlighted in busy cities or capital cities of countries. Such as(NEWYORK, DELHI, MUMBAI and etc..). If the situation will remain same so in coming years world will also face shortage of land in less populated area, moreover the prices of land are also increasing day by day. Which has make more difficult to build their own home.
Secondly, many people have agreed that instead of building homes in large or busy cities we should build tall apartment blocks. Which will cover space, but hundreds of family can live in only one building. As people also face parking problem in busy cities, so they can easily park their car in their building. By building tall apartment blocks many families can live inside building, but in one home only one family can live easily. If we build tall apartment block they will cover less space and many families were able to afford their own home. For instance, as in many busy cities they only have tall apartment blocks instead of homes due to shortage of land and high prices.
In my opinion, I would really prefer to build tall apartment blocks as many families can live in one building and it will also cover less space then homes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention land shortages and population growth, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the point about parking is a minor detail rather than a strong argument for high-density housing. To improve, you should focus on more significant socio-economic or environmental benefits of high-rise living, such as efficient infrastructure usage or the preservation of green belts. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, starting sentences with 'Which will...' or 'Such as...' creates sentence fragments that disrupt the flow. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the logical progression within paragraphs is hindered by repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each sentence is a complete, grammatically sound unit that connects logically to the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'really bad', 'big', and 'many'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'provide maximum homes' instead of 'accommodate a growing population' or 'cover space' instead of 'maximize land efficiency'. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning and housing, and avoid informal intensifiers like 'really'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are several sentence fragments (e.g., 'Such as (NEWYORK, DELHI, MUMBAI and etc..).') and issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency (e.g., 'Which has make more difficult'). The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple or compound sentences with repetitive patterns. To improve, focus on mastering complex sentence structures using relative clauses and subordinating conjunctions. Additionally, proofread carefully to correct basic errors in verb forms and punctuation, which currently occur in almost every sentence.
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.