Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06

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)

The suitable way to offer sufficient homes in highly populated cities is to construct high apartment blocks . I strongly agree with this view that vertical high buildings are good enough for people. because it occupies few area of land and benefit the people with large number of facilities.

First of all, in my opinion when people are living at a close distance they can help and also assist each other in solving problems. For instance, living together

in a same place help people to overcome the certain hurdles because if one in need the other helps them to give possible best solution to get out of it. So in my opinion, it would be better to stay close to prevent the hardships and difficulties.

Secondly, constructing high building is also a best way to occupy small area of land because it allows many people to live close to essential facilities. A good example of this highly populated areas have more chances of getting better facilities instead of low populated areas. Hence, it is proved that we should chose those areas where basic and essential necessities are at doorstep Because it helps to get everything easily without any extreme effort.

To conclude, living together firstly helps certain individuals to share their problems in a efficient way and secondly it also occupies small space of area due to this all facilities are available within easy reach. On the other hand making seperate houses is also crucial but it takes large space.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of high-rise buildings. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention land efficiency and social benefits, the arguments remain quite general and lack specific, concrete examples to support your claims. For instance, you mention 'facilities' but do not specify what these are or how high-rises specifically improve access compared to other urban planning models. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a more detailed explanation and a more specific, illustrative example to substantiate your points. The conclusion introduces a new point about separate houses, which is slightly tangential to the main argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude' to signal the structure. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'due to this all facilities are available', where the connection to the previous sentence is slightly awkward. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother, rather than relying on a standard list-like structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'best way' and 'good enough' are used frequently, which limits the sophistication of your writing. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'occupies few area of land' (should be 'occupies little land') and 'chose those areas' (should be 'choose'). To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to urban planning, such as 'urban density', 'infrastructure', or 'sustainable development'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect the flow of the text. Examples include 'because it occupies few area of land' (subject-verb agreement and article usage) and 'living together in a same place help people' (should be 'helps'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences starting with lowercase letters after a period or containing unnecessary capitalization. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent sentence punctuation.

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

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