Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 era, problem regarding housing is increasing. It is often argued that constructing high-rise buildings in major cities is best way to tackle the issue. In my opinion, I firmly disagree with the notion that tall buildings are best solution of housing issue because tall buildings can provide enough space for people, but they are more vulnerable to earthquake.

One major aspect of building tall apartment is to provide enough home for all individuals. After construction of high-rise buildings, in a single apartment numerous people can live in a harmony. For instance, more than hundreds of families are living in a tiny apartment situated in Khumaltar, Lalitpur. That apartment is facilitating in several area such as parking, health and security. Consequently, by providing significant facilities and enough spaces, tall houses standing asa good solution to address a housing problem of large cities.

On the other hand, tall buildings poses threat to earthquake. It is great to live in a big and tall houses. However, they are the one which are the most sensitive to earthquake. For instance, in densely populated areas such as Kathmandu had witnessed significant damages in 2016 earthquake. Where thousands of people were killed and millions of people suffered heavily. The reason behind this was clearly tall architecture and unplanned building. Therefore, high-rise apartment are more vulnerable and can cause extremely huge damage in earthquake.

In conclusion, from my perspective, though tall buildings create more place for people, it can cause severe damages in earthquake.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response partially addresses the prompt by presenting a clear position against tall apartment blocks, primarily arguing that they are vulnerable to earthquakes. However, the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. For example, while the writer mentions an apartment complex in Lalitpur to support the benefits of tall buildings, the explanation lacks sufficient extension. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding earthquakes mentions the 2016 Kathmandu earthquake, but the connection between tall architecture and the damage caused is generalised and lacks detailed elaboration. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to fully extend and support all ideas with more thorough explanations and specific examples rather than relying on brief mentions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay shows some organisation, including a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, though overall progression is hampered by limited logical flow between sentences. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, such as the frequent use of transitional phrases like 'For instance' and 'On the other hand' which feel mechanical. Paragraphing is attempted, but referencing within the text is not always clear, as seen in abrupt shifts between the advantages and disadvantages. To achieve a higher standard, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly and ensure that paragraph transitions feel more natural and logically connected.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing a basic range that communicates the writer's main points. There are noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word form throughout the response, such as writing 'tall buildings poses threat' instead of 'pose a threat', and 'create more place' instead of 'space'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'vulnerable', 'unplanned building', and 'densely populated', but these are accompanied by lexical inaccuracies that occasionally cause strain for the reader. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering word collocation and ensuring greater precision in lexical choices to convey ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing relies on a limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., 'problem regarding housing', 'best way'), singular and plural agreement issues (e.g., 'tall apartment are more vulnerable'), and incorrect prepositions. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over grammatical forms. To reach a higher standard, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures while improving accuracy in basic grammar rules, particularly article usage and subject-verb agreement.

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.