Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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)

There is a common understanding that tall apartment buildings are one of the best possible options of residents in a metropolitan cities. I partially agree with this statement because tall appartment are one of the most efficient ways to manage urbanization, but they also have certain drawbacks that can not be overlooked. Following is the explaination of my statement.

First and foremost, tall apartment buildings can assist in limiting urban sprawl. Urban sprawl happens when cities grow horizontally, instead of vertically. With vertical growth, multiple issues arise, such as, poor distribution of utility facitlites like water pipeline, grid infrastructure etc. In closed comunities, the distance from work or entertainment is also less, so people can get there in less time. It can also reduce overall fuel consumption which is good for enviornment. In case of Lahore, Pakistan, the city is expanding in a rapid pace. Since the independence of Pakistan, the city's size has doubled that is causing tons of management issues.

Tall apartments does not always have benifits either. With high-rise apartments, the surrounding areas can get conjusted. High traffic during peak mobility hours can make matter worse since most of the people are living in small spaces. Furthermore, houses have proper ventilation and sunlight but apartment lack this. This can reduce the wellbeing of people living in small spaces because there is less breathing space for them.

In conclusion, I agree that tall apartments are effective way to manage urban cities and there is no better alternative available. Despite all of the benifits, there are some disadvantages associated with them also. In the end, advantages overweigh disadvantages and currently there is no better solution available.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a partial agreement stance regarding tall apartment blocks. The main position is clear throughout the essay, and relevant ideas are introduced, such as managing urban sprawl, reducing fuel consumption, and concerns regarding congestion and a lack of proper ventilation. However, some ideas remain under-developed or briefly stated. For instance, the mention of Lahore, Pakistan introduces a specific example, but it is not fully linked back to the core argument about tall buildings. Similarly, the discussion surrounding sunlight and ventilation lacks detailed expansion. To reach a higher level, the ideas need to be more thoroughly extended with deeper explanations and more fully integrated examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct main points, such as the benefits and the drawbacks of high-rise living. However, cohesion at the sentence level is sometimes mechanical or faulty. Transitional phrases like 'Following is the explaination of my statement' feel awkward and do not flow naturally. Additionally, referencing and logical transitions between some sentences could be smoother, as seen in the sudden jump to the example of Lahore. To improve, you should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure that every sentence smoothly links to the one that follows it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your basic arguments about urbanization. You attempt less common vocabulary items, such as 'urban sprawl', 'metropolitan cities', and 'infrastructure', but these are accompanied by notable inaccuracies in word choice, spelling, and word forms. Examples of lexical errors include writing 'appartment' instead of 'apartment', 'explaination' instead of 'explanation', 'benifits' instead of 'benefits', 'conjusted' instead of 'congested', and stating that advantages 'overweigh' rather than 'outweigh' disadvantages. Furthermore, phrasing like 'expanding in a rapid pace' contains a preposition error ('at' a rapid pace). These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not completely impede communication. To progress, you need to broaden your vocabulary range and focus on accurate spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional and relative clauses. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that restrict the band level. Subject-verb agreement issues are present, such as 'tall apartment does not always have benifits', where the singular subject and verb do not match the plural noun phrase. Article usage is also problematic in sentences like 'apartment lack this', where the plural noun requires a determiner. Additionally, prepositions inside grammatical patterns are occasionally misused, and punctuation could be tighter. These errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally pause, though they do not fundamentally distort the overall meaning.

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