Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 5.0)

In many large cities ,the demand of housing is increasing beacuse of population growth the best way provide tall apartment blocks partly I agree with this view because high-rise buildings can provide many homes.

On the one hand , the tall building apartment can provide homes from many people in a limited areas This is very useful in large cities When land is expensive and population growth is high .For example Goverment can build high-rise apartment near public transport allowing. Many people to live close to workplaces .

On the other hand, high-rise buildings can cause problems such as overcrowding, traffic and pressure on public services. Some people may also prefer living in houses with gardens and more personal space.

In conclusion, I believe the tall apartment blocks are important solution for housing shortages, but they should be combined with other type of housing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response is severely under-length, containing only 144 words compared to the required minimum of 250 words. This significantly limits the development of ideas. While the writer manages to present a partial position and touches upon both the advantages of high-rise buildings, such as proximity to workplaces, and disadvantages like overcrowding, the arguments are extremely brief and lack sufficient extension or supporting examples. For instance, the mention of public transport is not fully explained in relation to housing. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a lower band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into four short paragraphs, showing an attempt at a logical structure with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for opposing views, and a conclusion. However, the overall progression is restricted by the brevity of the text. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes faulty, such as the awkward transition 'partly I agree with this view' and the missing punctuation and conjunctions between clauses. Paragraphing is present, but the individual paragraphs consist of only one or two sentences, which prevents ideas from being properly linked and developed throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses a limited range of vocabulary that is minimally adequate for discussing the topic of urban housing. Words and phrases such as 'population growth', 'housing shortages', and 'public services' demonstrate an ability to use relevant topical language. However, there are frequent lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'demand of housing' instead of 'demand for housing', 'tall building apartment' instead of 'tall apartment buildings', and 'from many people' instead of 'for many people'. The vocabulary remains quite repetitive, preventing the achievement of a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are numerous punctuation errors, including missing full stops, misplaced commas, and run-on sentences like 'demand of housing is increasing beacuse of population growth the best way provide tall apartment blocks partly I agree...'. Spelling errors are also present, such as 'beacuse' and 'Goverment'. While some simple sentences are grammatically correct, complex structures frequently contain errors that cause difficulty for the reader.

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

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