Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23
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 most efficient way to provide enough residential space is actually by building more vertical apartment buildings. While Some people believe that it can create other problems such as less resources for more individuals in the same place but i believe it serves a much greater cause by actually conserving our agricultural land while housing more people in a small land area.
Some people believe that although high rise apartment buildings can house more people but they come with their own problems. For example, in this sort of buildings people have excess to very little green space, there are hardly any parks, play areas, and other facilities.
Where there are those resources available it is not sufficient for the amount of people living in the society.
Conversely, I believe that apartment buildings not only solve the problem of providing enough housing to the individuals it also helps us in the conservation of cultivation land. Nowadays, the trend of expanding large cities is costing us with development on arable land that could be used to feed humans for a long time. So instead of expanding the large cities and destroying the useful agricultural resources we should focus on building more vertical buildings, we can solve the problem of insufficient green space by creating a planned structure for these buildings where people can have access to enough parks and other resources.
In conclusion, i believe this is the best way of solving the problem of adequate housing for people in larger city as the problems that come with them are much smaller than the issues that it can resolve.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt directly, taking a clear stance that tall apartment blocks are the best solution for housing shortages while protecting agricultural land. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly in the discussion of disadvantages and the counter-argument regarding green spaces. While the writer mentions the lack of parks, the elaboration is brief and lacks concrete examples or deeper exploration. The conclusion restates the position adequately. Overall, the response addresses all parts of the task with sufficient relevance, aligning with Band 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is utilized, though the second and third paragraphs could be merged or better structured, as the transition between the perceived problem and the rebuttal is slightly abrupt. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Conversely' and 'In conclusion', but referencing and linking within paragraphs can be mechanical at times (e.g., repetition of 'Some people believe'). Logical progression is maintained, but the flow is occasionally hindered by phrasing choices, placing this component firmly at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'residential space', 'vertical apartment buildings', 'agricultural land', and 'arable land'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but also noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'excess to very little green space' (instead of 'access') and 'costing us with development' (instead of 'costing us development' or 'resulting in development'). Spelling and word-formation errors do not severely impede communication, supporting a Band 6.0 rating.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over multi-clause structures, such as in the opening sentence: 'While some people believe that it can create other problems... but i believe...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including lowercase 'i', missing articles ('in this sort of buildings', 'amount of people'), and run-on sentences ('So instead of expanding the large cities... we can solve...'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band, making Band 6.0 appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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