Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14
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)
It is widely believed that the best method to provide sufficient housing in large urban cities, they can build skyscraper apartment blocks. Hence, people think that it is convenient for them and people can save their money rather than buying a new home or land. I strongly agree with this viewpoint because it offers several advantages for individuals.
On one hand, numerous people spend their money on lands and houses and they cannot save their money for their future, but if they buy a new apartment they can save a large part of their income. This is because apartments are cheaper compared to new houses. they can invest money on other things. Moreover, apartments maintenance costs are lower than homes, it is very convenient for them and they can live there without stress. A clear example of this is that in societies there are available security facilities, so ladies and children can feel safe and they can live without any problems.
Furthermore, apartments are also more environmentally friendly. The main reason for this is that when people make new houses they cut down trees for more space, which is directly affecting the environment. For instance, a significant number of homes construction companies cause deforestation in forests. Consequently, animals and trees cannot survive there because construction industries are responsible for large-scale deforestation. Animals and birds unfortunately lose their houses and nests.
In conclusion, people can save their money and apartments offers security, which women and children it is very beneficial for them. apartments are cheaper then property it help to cut down trees.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position agreeing with the statement that tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide housing. The writer presents relevant ideas regarding financial savings, convenience, security, and environmental benefits. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly in the conclusion and body paragraphs. For instance, the financial benefits and the discussion on deforestation are introduced but lack deep extension or concrete real-world data. The position is maintained throughout, but the reasoning tends to generalise. Therefore, this performance aligns closely with Band 6, as it addresses the task and presents relevant ideas, but some points are under-developed or repetitive.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, along with identifiable body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'Consequently' are used to structure the text, though some referencing is unclear, such as 'they can build' in the introduction where the pronoun lacks a clear antecedent. Paragraphing is utilised, but the final conclusion paragraph is weak and repetitive, failing to effectively summarize the arguments. Repetition of ideas and minor mechanical cohesion issues place this section firmly in the Band 6 category, offering a generally clear logical progression that occasionally falters.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate main ideas about housing, finance, and the environment. There are attempts to use less common items such as 'deforestation', 'environmentally friendly', and 'maintenance costs'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'apartment maintenance costs are lower than homes', 'invest money on other things', and 'homes construction companies'. Furthermore, the vocabulary becomes repetitive, especially in the conclusion. These inaccuracies and the limited range prevent the score from reaching a higher band, making Band 5.5 appropriate for this level of lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures like 'if they buy a new apartment they can save a large part of their income'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are run-on sentences, comma splices, and structural errors, such as 'It is widely believed that the best method to provide sufficient housing in large urban cities, they can build skyscraper apartment blocks' and 'women and children it is very beneficial for them'. Punctuation errors also occur frequently. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of grammatical errors means the response fits the Band 5 descriptor better than Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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