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 solution to providing housing to every individual in big cities is tall apartment blocks. I agree with this statement as its an efficient way to utilize land furthermore living close together would help in creating strong communities and more land could be utilized for parking and parks as well as healthcare needs. This congesting planning might also increase traffic noise pollution and effect environment.

Apartment blocks are no doubt the effective way to provide housing in populated cities. This construction planning not only solves the growing population housing problem but also allows enough area to build parks and other entertainment places in the city where families can visit together. Also, when people live together in same building it can help in creating strong community that can work together for the benefit of the area weather its about waste management or helping those in need. Many developed countries especially China most populated country that has already utilized this housing method to provide enough housing for people.

In contrast, the tall building and city life might seem a good way to manage land but this may cause traffic problems if not managed well and the air and noise pollution can effect the residents. Delhi the city of India also have this issue it has several apartment blocks but the congestion traffic noise and air pollution is so high that many foreigners that travel to this city cannot deny they faced anxiety, headache and wanted to be at a much quite place than this.

In conclusion, there is no doubt tall apartments are best solution as it provides housing to many but also the planning the city structure with these buildings should also be prioritized.

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 efficiency and community building, and the counter-argument regarding pollution is acknowledged. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the benefits are explained, the discussion on the negative impacts is less detailed and relies on anecdotal evidence (e.g., the mention of Delhi). To reach a higher band, the student should provide more nuanced analysis of the trade-offs between urban density and infrastructure requirements, rather than simply listing potential issues. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of argument could be improved to fully explore the complexities of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'furthermore', 'in contrast', and 'in conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be tighter. For instance, the transition between the benefits of community and the example of China is abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the flow is slightly hindered by repetitive sentence structures. Overall, the essay is easy to follow, but more sophisticated linking words and better paragraph internal cohesion would elevate the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'congesting planning' and 'utilized', but there are also instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'effect environment' (should be 'affect the environment') and 'quite place' (should be 'quiet place'). The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but the lack of precision and occasional errors in collocation prevent a higher score. Expanding the range of academic collocations and ensuring correct word forms would improve this criterion significantly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the city of India', 'the congestion traffic'), subject-verb agreement, and word forms ('weather its about' instead of 'whether it is about'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and occur throughout the text. The student attempts complex sentences, but they are often marred by these slips. To improve, the student needs to focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically regarding prepositions, articles, and common spelling errors like 'quite' versus 'quiet'.

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.