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)

Large cities comes with large number of population as compared to that of urban areas which arises the problem of providing enough homes. Best way to overcome this problem is to build tall apartment blocks to provide enough homes in large cities and I strongly agree with this fact.

In tall apartment blocks more people can take shelter as compared to the people living in secular homes like bungalow. This can be consider as positive because if more people will start living in bungalow than each family will require its own square foot area which would lead to more cutting of tress and increase in pollution. Mumbai of India is considered as one of the best examples, as it is considered as Metro City and having tall apartment blocks which makes it easy for people from other part of India thinking of getting settled down there.

Another reason that as tall apartment comes with more blocks/floors ,so it could be considered as great help of shelter for more people as it will occupy less space considering the width of the apartment. Like let's take an example, I have big family and we are living in secular homes like bungalow, but now a days as large cities do have an alternate option of tall apartment blocks so our whole family can think of living on the same floor ,by this we will be connected with each other in much better way rather than living in secular homes.

So considering the things such as pollution , fresh air and as now tall apartment comes with so many blocks in it , so it is considered as best way to provide homes in large cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, such as land conservation and social connectivity, but they are somewhat under-developed. For example, the argument regarding environmental benefits is mentioned but lacks depth, and the personal example about a family living on the same floor is a bit simplistic for an academic essay. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting arguments could be more sophisticated and better linked to the broader challenges of urban planning to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Another reason that...', 'So considering the things...'). There are also issues with referencing; for instance, the term 'secular homes' is used incorrectly to mean 'detached houses,' which creates confusion. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the transitions between sentences could be smoother and more varied to improve the overall flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several instances of incorrect word choice, such as using 'secular' instead of 'detached' or 'individual' homes, and 'Metro City' used as a proper noun rather than a descriptive term. The phrase 'large number of population' is also non-standard. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban areas' and 'apartment blocks,' the range is limited, and the errors occasionally hinder the clarity of the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('Large cities comes', 'This can be consider'), article usage ('as Metro City'), and awkward phrasing ('as it arises the problem'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips.

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

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