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 completely agree with the statement that building high-rise apartments in urban area is a very good way to provide enough homes because tall buildings occupy less land space which makes them much cheaper, reliable and also accommodates more people. Reasons will be discussed in this essay.

The foremost argument to justify my point is that high rise apartments occupy much lesser space than traditional buildings and also provides comfortable housing space to cite an instance, my family used to live in an apartment of 5 floors which occupies larger land space and also costlier with no much amenities and security where one of my relatives lives high rise buildings has equally large space cost friendly and also space to accommodate many others with good security.

Furthermore, high rise buildings also add a plus point to infrastructure as they are considered aesthetic in modern world. Vertical buildings also leave space for other infrastructure such corporate buildings and public transport infrastructure for example, there is high rise building know as oxygen towers which is comfortable home for around 300 families and there are many other spaces left for public transports and corporate offices around the building .

In conclusion, building tall apartment blocks is a very good way to solve the housing problem in big cities. Even though some people think tall buildings are risky and can cause crowd problems, I believe the benefits are much more. High rise buildings save valuable land space, provide safe houses for many families, and help governments make better transport systems.

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. The ideas are relevant, focusing on land efficiency and infrastructure benefits. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the comparison between the 5-floor apartment and the high-rise is a bit anecdotal and lacks depth. While the position is clear throughout, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the overall development remains at a basic level, typical of a Band 6 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'The foremost argument', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow within paragraphs is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and run-on sentences, such as in the second paragraph where multiple ideas are joined without sufficient punctuation. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the mechanical nature of some transitions and the lack of sophisticated referencing keep this in the Band 6 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. The student uses basic terms like 'good way', 'costlier', and 'plus point'. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'aesthetic' and 'infrastructure', but these are sometimes used in slightly unnatural collocations. Repetition of words like 'space' and 'buildings' is noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic synonyms and collocations to express ideas with greater sophistication.

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 regarding article usage (e.g., 'in urban area', 'in modern world'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. For example, the sentence 'my family used to live in an apartment of 5 floors which occupies larger land space and also costlier' is grammatically fragmented and lacks a main verb in the second clause. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the essay from reaching a higher band.

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

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