Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

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)

I t is often argued that due to increased population, appropriate method to provide higher amount of housing in large cities is possible by constructing the sky height buildings having apartments blocks. Others contend that it can cause detrimental effects on the pollution and urbanisation pattern of cities. I agree with the perspective that tall housing buildings are not the proper solution to maintain the homes for public. This issue can be addressed by proper housing colonies and the government management about preoccupied spaces for homes.

Due to growing number of residents in the cities there is a pressing pressure on the government to handle their residential areas. But the tall buildings can not sustainable as, infrastructure of cities disturbed results in many consequences like pollution, populated spaces and less facilities to the citizens. For example, in the large city of Pakistan( Karachi), due to high rise buildings living standards are very low due to extensive population. As majority of people reside in the tall buildings , less facilities are provided to them because, current policies of the country are for less people.

Although urban areas are provided more fascinating life , due to less accommodation spaces this can be turned into sub standard life. Tall buildings have their own drawbacks . There is a chance of more drastic situations during unfavourable weather conditions, droughts and wars. These tall buildings are more vulnerable to collapsed . For instance, the Tsunami In the America is brought more damages due to demolishing of tall buildings.

In conclusion, it may look feasible to provide homes to increasing number of general public in the cites by constructing tall buildings with apartments blocks but, these may turned into more drastic situations related to their living standards and safety. Well constructed buildings with proper facilities are beneficial for growing population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that tall buildings cause pollution and safety issues, the arguments are not fully extended. For instance, the example of Karachi is mentioned but lacks a clear link to how tall buildings specifically cause the 'low living standards' described. Similarly, the mention of 'Tsunami in America' is factually unclear and does not effectively support the argument regarding urban planning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is logically connected to the main argument with more specific, accurate evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a general progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'But the tall buildings can not sustainable' lacks a proper transition, and the use of 'Although' in the third paragraph does not effectively contrast the preceding ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the phrase 'this can be turned into sub standard life', where 'this' does not clearly refer to a specific noun. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'sky height buildings', 'pressing pressure', and 'demolishing of tall buildings'. These errors occasionally make the meaning slightly opaque. While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urbanisation' and 'infrastructure', the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on learning common collocations (e.g., 'high-rise buildings' instead of 'sky height buildings') and using more precise academic terminology to convey your ideas more effectively.

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 occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'tall buildings can not sustainable'), missing articles (e.g., 'in the large city of Pakistan'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'these may turned into'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic errors like verb forms and article usage to improve your accuracy.

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.