Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-10

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)

In contemporary society, a significant proportion of people believe that the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. It is a crucial matter of discussion. I partly agree with this matter.

Initially, in large cities, the population is of the largest proportion and people find it very difficult to buy homes for them. Thus, the society got up with an idea to build tall apartment blocks to provide enough homes. With my standpoint, it has many disadvantages but the benefits outcome them. The greatest benefit is that it does not consume much place in big cities where there is already much population. Hundreds of homes can be built in one tall apartment block. People make up a society in their apartment blocks and they get many facilities there , for instance, they get much better security and people can live as a small happy society there. But the disadvantages are not left behind, people living at the top of the tall apartment blocks are far away from the road. They have to pass many floors though lift which is even time taking. Secondly, the tall apartments can become conjusted, which can also become noisy and unpeaceful for many people. This all depend on the people, their natures and their place of interest. If people can cope with the noise and large number of people, tall apartments can suit best to them. Consequently, if people like living in separate homes in a town, apartments can become conjusted for them.

In conclusion, i maintain my point of view that building tall apartment blocks to provide enough homes in large cities can partially be a good idea, but it wholely depend on the people where they can live peacefully.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed the prompt by providing a clear position and discussing both the benefits and drawbacks of tall apartment blocks. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For example, your point about 'security' and 'small happy society' is mentioned but not fully explained or supported with specific examples. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more depth and detail. While your position is clear, the overall development feels a bit superficial, and the conclusion simply restates your initial view without adding further insight or synthesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Secondly', and 'Consequently' to link your points. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural. For instance, the transition 'Thus, the society got up with an idea' is awkward and does not effectively connect the previous sentence to the next. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'This all depend on the people', where the antecedent is vague. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to express your ideas, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and non-standard collocations. Phrases like 'benefits outcome them' (should be 'outweigh them'), 'conjusted' (spelling error for 'congested'), and 'time taking' (should be 'time-consuming') indicate a need for more precise vocabulary. While you attempt to use some topic-specific language, the errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are accurate in the context of formal academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of your writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('This all depend on the people'), incorrect preposition usage ('pass many floors though lift'), and awkward phrasing ('With my standpoint'). While your meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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