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)

It is predicted that a viable solution to provide sufficient residences is to establish larger buildings in urban areas. I firmly believe that this is a correct assumption given the problem of not having enough space in cities. The following paragraphs provide examples to support the statement.

First of all, cities are already crowded with a lot of residential buildings as well as commercial spots. Therefore, it has become an issue to provide enough space to build new homes, given the situation that people have started migrating from the countryside to main cities for the sake of having better standards of living and easy access to basic facilities of life. Cities provide a way of better education, convenient approach to hospitals, and better infrastructure. So, buying a new home in a city has turned out to be a crucial factor influencing mobility. Hence, a possible solution to this problem is making larger buildings that offer apartments to newcomers. This is because cities do not have enough space to accommodate the new arrivals. Also, the space for agricultural sectors as well as forests is being compromised if the issue is not resolved in a timely manner.

Second of all, the housing schemes have affected the cities. For, they tend to extend the diameter of the city in order to build new homes for those who are moving into the city from suburban or villages. The space for crops is being lessened. Also, trees are being cut down to establish new infrastructure. It ultimately affects environmental sustainability.

In conclusion, it is more eco-friendly to build larger buildings, with sufficient portions made in order to accommodate the newcomers. But it should be noted that the newly built apartments are made more secure and strong enough to withstand events such as earthquakes and harsh winds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide housing in large cities, maintaining a clear position of agreement throughout. Ideas are presented and supported, such as the lack of space in cities and the environmental impact of urban sprawl. However, some arguments remain slightly under-developed; for instance, the mention of agricultural land and forests is touched upon in both the second and third paragraphs without fully exploring the long-term consequences. The introduction is also quite brief and generic. Nevertheless, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant reasoning, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors. Because ideas are extended and supported despite minor limitations in depth, a band 6.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs exploring distinct facets of the issue (urban congestion and environmental sprawl), and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as "First of all", "Second of all", and "In conclusion", though some transitional phrases feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional sentences like "For, they tend to extend" show slight awkwardness in linkage. Overall, the logical flow is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as "migration", "urban areas", "environmental sustainability", and "infrastructure". However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and unnatural collocations, such as "establish larger buildings" instead of "construct high-rise buildings", and "extend the diameter of the city" rather than "urban sprawl" or "expand the city limits". Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical limitations and slight unnaturalness in word formation keep the response capped at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate structures like "This is because cities do not have enough space..." and "...given the situation that people have started migrating...". There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as starting a sentence with "For, they tend to..." and minor punctuation issues. While errors occur across the text, they rarely impede communication, and the basic meaning remains clear. This reflects the characteristics of Band 6.0.

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.