Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 most effective way to provide enough housing in big cities is to build apartment blocks vertically. In my opinion, this is a very effective way to reduce the housing shortage. And I agree with it to a large extent.

In many cities, people tend to build homes horizontally rather than vertically, so one person occupies a large area, leaving insufficient space for others. This also affects how many houses are built; for example, in Pakistan, people often build houses horizontally, especially in Lahore, which makes most streets very narrow and leaves less space to build more houses. This way provides no advantages at all. That's why there should be tall apartment blocks, so they use less area and more people can live.

Different countries followed this approach and built tall apartment blocks to meet housing needs. For example, in China, most houses are tall, and over time they add more blocks vertically as the country's population increases; through this method, they meet the housing scheme's requirements. Many countries were suffering from this problem; how could they satisfy the housing scheme? After reviewing this, they built more apartment blocks than houses, and over time they increased the blocks of apartment blocks as the population increased.

Conclusion: In my opinion, we should act upon this method because this is the only method we are able to use to fulfill the deficiency of the housing scheme, and also through this we are able to build more buildings for work, different workstations which could enhance the job opportunities for people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear stance that tall apartment blocks are the best solution for housing shortages. However, the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the example regarding Pakistan and Lahore mentions narrow streets and a lack of space, but this point is not fully elaborated with strong supporting evidence or broader implications. Similarly, the example regarding China is repetitive and describes the general concept of adding blocks rather than deeply exploring the socioeconomic impacts. To progress, the writer needs to extend and support all main ideas thoroughly throughout the essay without relying on generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic logical organisation to the response, with a visible introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, which shows some overall arrangement. However, progression is not always clear, and the connections between ideas feel repetitive, particularly in the third paragraph where the discussion about China circles back on the same point multiple times. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as the abrupt transitions ('This way provides no advantages at all' and 'Conclusion: In my opinion...'). Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion needs to be managed more fluidly to guide the reader smoothly through the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message. The writer relies on simple and repetitive phrasing, such as 'housing scheme', 'tall apartment blocks', and 'build houses horizontally'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that reflect a restricted range, such as 'fulfill the deficiency of the housing scheme', which is not a standard collocation. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary limitations prevent the response from demonstrating flexibility, precision, or awareness of style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. For example, sentences like 'how could they satisfy the housing scheme?' and 'through this method, they meet the housing scheme's requirements' show frequent grammatical inaccuracies. There are issues with clause connection, punctuation, and preposition usage within grammatical patterns. These frequent errors require the reader to occasionally pause, though communication is still maintained.

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