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)

In recent years , with the growing population in all over the word, most people argued that using tall buildings is the best option to provide homes in big cities. I partially agree with this statement, tall buildings has many advantages like providing more apartments in smaller area but there are many other effective ways which we can use to provide more homes.

On the one side, in large cities it is important to have more houses and apartments. Tall building is the best option to have excessive numbers of apartments in in small area. you can create multiple apartments on a single apartments which will cover the space of single apartment. For instance, using the 1000 square feet apartment give the ability to have ten apartments on that similar area just one after another. as result which gives access to large number of homes in large cities.

on the other hand, for large number of homes we can use many other effective ways, using unused buildings of urban areas can help us in the same way. spending on such tall building we can renew the old and less used buildings. For example, we can convert outdated areas or building to apartments, buildings and common areas, which can result in the same way as the tall building.

In conclusion, in large cities tall building is the best option to have more many apartments, but spending on outdated buildings in rural areas are the most effective way which we can use for major number of houses and Homes

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a partial position. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention tall buildings and the renovation of old buildings, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. For instance, the explanation of how ten apartments fit into a 1000 square foot area is confusing and mathematically unclear. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed reasoning and real-world examples to support your claims. The conclusion also introduces a new, slightly confusing point about 'rural areas,' which was not mentioned in the body paragraphs, making the argument feel somewhat disjointed.

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 repetitive (e.g., 'On the one side,' 'on the other hand,' 'as result'). There are also issues with referencing; for example, the phrase 'which can result in the same way as the tall building' is vague. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, making the logical flow feel a bit forced rather than natural. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would improve the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'big cities,' 'good option,' and 'many other effective ways.' There are also some word-choice errors, such as 'in all over the word' (should be 'all over the world') and 'excessive numbers' (which has a negative connotation here). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to urban planning, such as 'high-density housing,' 'urban regeneration,' or 'sustainable development.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('tall buildings has'), missing articles ('in small area'), and punctuation errors. For example, 'as result which gives access' is grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and article usage to ensure your sentences are more accurate.

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

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