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)

The best method of providing enough houses in large cities is to construct tall apartment blocks. From my perspective, living in apartment is relatively more beneficial instead of building homes. In this essay, I will support my opinion with examples.

Firstly, high rise buildings have many advantages because they occupy less space and more accommodation. For example, a building consists of several apartments where many citizens could live at a time, whereas any other way of providing enough homes might occupy more space and a fewer number of people in it. If people prefer living in flats, then it would be beneficial for them in numerous ways. The advantages include less maintenance as most of the management is done by the building administration. It will several responsibilities including lift service, cleaning, water supply and electricity.

Another reason why I agree with the construction of tall apartment blocks is that they are safer as compared to personal homes. Take mental peace as an example. I strongly believe that this is a significant factor as good security ensures a safer environment. People feel more safe and experience a peace of mind because there are controlled entrances and camera installed everywhere for a better security. On the other hand, urban areas consist of more buildings, and it is the best way to provide enough homes due to several key reasons discussed above. As a result, it is the best way to utilize less space as cities are very overcrowded due to a large number of populations.

In conclusion, high rise buildings would make a city less crowded and benefits local community in many ways. Personally, I think less space would be utilized in the best way by the construction of apartments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding space efficiency and security are relevant. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'management' is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of how it solves the housing crisis. The essay tends to over-generalize, and the link between 'mental peace' and 'tall apartment blocks' could be more robustly supported with specific examples or evidence. To improve, ensure that each paragraph provides a deeper analysis of the core issue—the housing shortage—rather than just listing benefits of apartment living.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'It will several responsibilities', where the subject is ambiguous. The use of cohesive devices is sufficient but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to their antecedents would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'accommodation' and 'administration', but some word choices are slightly imprecise or repetitive, such as 'best way' appearing multiple times. There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'a fewer number of people' (should be 'a smaller number of people') and 'camera installed' (should be 'cameras installed'). Expanding the range of vocabulary and focusing on more natural collocations would help reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'living in apartment' (missing article), 'It will several responsibilities' (missing verb), and 'People feel more safe' (should be 'safer'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing auxiliary verbs.

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

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