Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. I totally agree with this statement. Because their are number of reasons to agree with this statement.

Overall, the tall buildings in major cities are best way to provide enough homes. Nowadays, the one of serious problem in major cities are overpopulation. By building the tall apartment blocks we can overcome this problem. So the main reason of these tall buildings is that one tall apartment can accommodate many families .

First of all, in major cities there is no much place to construct more houses for families. The better way to provide the enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. One of the prime reasons to agree this is that this provide enough homes and beneficial that high rise buildings can maximize limited urban lands.

For instance, numerous researches have consistently cited that a significant number of large cities are benefitted due to this. Therefore, setting up apartment blocks is undoubtedly useful for urban people.

In my opinion, accurately planned and high quality tall apartment blocks could create convenient environment while providing all people with enough homes. Building a large amounts of single private houses will demand more resources and space, which is less adequate option.

In conclusion, building tall apartment blocks in major cities is the best way to provide the enough homes. By constructing tall apartment blocks can save building material, also provide safe and friendly environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and takes a clear, consistent position agreeing with the statement that tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. The ideas are relevant and supported to some extent, explaining that high-rise buildings maximize limited urban land and save resources compared to single private houses. However, some arguments remain repetitive and lack deeper extension or specific real-world examples beyond vague references to 'numerous researches.' While the main parts of the task are addressed, the overall development tends to loop back on the same points rather than introducing new supporting facets. This performance aligns with the Band 6 descriptors, as it presents a relevant position with ideas that are somewhat under-developed and generalized.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance established from the beginning. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing different reasons, and a conclusion. However, paragraph structures are sometimes fragmented, such as very short single-sentence paragraphs in the opening section. Cohesive devices are used, but their deployment is often mechanical or repetitive, such as 'First of all' and 'For instance'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and transitional links between sentences could be smoother to guide the reader through a more logical progression. Overall, the organization meets the requirements for a Band 6, showing a recognizable structure and general coherence despite mechanical cohesion and some faulty paragraphing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'overpopulation', 'urban lands', 'resources', and 'accommodation'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though these are occasionally marred by word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'no much place' instead of 'not much space' and 'less adequate option' instead of 'a less suitable option'. Spelling is generally acceptable for common words, but minor lexical slips occur throughout the text. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points despite noticeable inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, the response fits the Band 6 lexical profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'By building the tall apartment blocks we can overcome this problem' and 'Building a large amounts of single private houses will demand more resources and space'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Because their are number of reasons' and 'this provide enough homes'), missing articles ('is one of serious problem'), and incorrect prepositions ('benefitted due to this'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from achieving a Band 7. The control of grammar is characteristic of Band 5, where frequent errors in complex structures persist.

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

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