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)

In the modern world, rapid population growth and highly crowded cities cause residence shortages, and people should decide what type of residence would be more suitable to alleviate this problem. Some people believe that tall apartment blocks would be the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. Although tall apartments can cause inconvenience and concern, I agree that it will remain the best option for several reasons.

The first reason living in apartment offers a restricted space and inconvenience compared to single private houses. The conditions such as a connection between all apartments and an absence of private courtyards will result in less private and more noisy life. As a result, people who prefer peaceful environments can choose single private houses. Moreover, the higher the apartment, the more dangerous it is in the case of disasters unexpected accidents. Tall blocks are often vulnerable the chance of successfully evacuating is low compared to single private houses.

Another reason is, population density will decrease . If people build tall apartment block it can reduce densely populated single houses are less environmentally friendly and less effective way to provide a home for all people. Building small private houses will cover more space which results in the reduced wildlife habitat. Large and crowded cities often lack a space for such houses and this option is often unavailable.

In conclusion, I agree that the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks, as preserving resources is essential and high quality apartments will create a convenient and safe environment.

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, establishing a clear overall position in agreement. The writer presents relevant arguments regarding space efficiency, environmental preservation, and lifestyle drawbacks such as noise and disaster risks. However, some ideas are underdeveloped or slightly confused, such as the third paragraph where the sentence 'population density will decrease' contradicts the premise of building high-density housing to solve shortages. Furthermore, the argument shifts awkwardly between opposing views without fully extending every point. According to the Band 6 descriptors, the task is addressed with relevant ideas, but some parts suffer from under-development and slight logical inconsistencies. Therefore, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, providing a logical framework with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'The first reason', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly faulty. For example, the sentence 'The first reason living in apartment offers a restricted space' lacks a verb phrase to connect the subject to its complement properly, making the logical flow bumpy. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, ensuring an overall coherent arrangement that allows the reader to follow the writer's line of thought. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor, which notes a coherent overall arrangement even though cohesion can be faulty or mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'population growth', 'residence shortages', 'wildlife habitat', and 'population density'. However, there are notable word-choice errors and awkward collocations that affect precision. For instance, writing 'residence shortages' instead of 'housing shortages' or 'housing deficit', and 'vulnerable the chance of successfully evacuating' where the prepositional phrasing breaks down. Spelling is generally accurate, but inaccuracies in word formation and collocation prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. These characteristics correspond closely to the Band 6 descriptor, where the range is adequate for the task with some inaccuracy in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing subordinating conjunctions such as 'Although' and relative clauses. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, resulting in several noticeable errors. Examples include missing prepositions or auxiliary verbs, such as 'vulnerable the chance' instead of 'vulnerable to the risk', and awkward phrasing in 'disasters unexpected accidents'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication. The presence of both correct complex structures and frequent grammatical slips places this response firmly in the Band 6 category, reflecting a mix of sentence structures and recurring errors that do not block understanding.

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

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