Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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)

Tall buildings and skyscrapers have become a trademark of large cities. Large cities come with more opportunities which comes with a larger population and to accomodate a huge number of people tall apartment blocks is the most convenient and feasible option.

I feel this is true because modern cities are becoming heavily congested and to build large homes with individual plots does not help the case. Even the most basic skyscrapers can house atleast 50 to 60 families at once. And living in tall apartment buildings does not mean giving up on luxury, these days highly luxurious apartments are available, which comes equipped with various amenities like: gym, clubhouse, swimming pool, playgrounds and parks. This also helps in building a strong community between the poeple living in the same building, fostering good relationships and support. Also it is said, the higher you move, better the AQI and if that's the case, better will be your health.

Now, some people might not agree with living in tall apartment blocks due to the safety and privacy reasons. With any natural disaster like fire, or earthquake living inn a building is more risky, also kids' safety is more of a concern. And for people who want privacy might not opt for living in apartments.

But I still feel the pros outweigh the cons and living in tall apartment blocks to accomodate large populations in large cities is the practical option.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide housing in large cities, presenting a clear overall position that they are necessary despite certain cons. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, coming in at 237 words. Consequently, the ideas are slightly under-developed and lack the depth expected for higher bands. While the writer touches upon economic, social, and health factors, the arguments would benefit from greater extension and specific supporting examples rather than general statements like 'living in a building is more risky'. Due to the length penalty and underdeveloped idea extension, a band score of 5.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a generally clear overall progression and is divided into logical paragraphs that separate the introduction, main body points supporting the view, opposing views, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'And for people who want', and 'Also' are used, though they are at times mechanical or repetitive, as seen with the frequent use of 'And' and 'Also' to start sentences. Paragraphing is adequate, but the referencing and transitions between sentences could be smoother to enhance the flow of ideas. Overall, the organizational structure is coherent and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'trademark', 'congested', 'feasible', and 'amenities'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'accomodate' (accommodate), 'poeple' (people), and 'inn' (in). The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but inaccurate collocations and minor errors slightly detract from the precision of the writing. Communication is never impeded by these lexical slips, which firmly places the response in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with examples of relative clauses ('which comes equipped with various amenities') and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement errors ('tall apartment blocks is' instead of 'are', 'amenities like: gym' with incorrect colon usage) and run-on sentences ('this also helps in building a strong community between the poeple living in the same building, fostering good relationships and support'). These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the response to Band 5.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.