Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-06

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 4.0)

It is a very controversional statement. It can be true and at the same time it can be false too. In my opinion, this is not the best way to provide homes in a larger cities. Nevertheless, government should focus on giving employment to the people and build small houses rather then building large apartment blocks. They should focus on building small houses where they can enjoy nature.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response sits at a low level because it severely fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, containing only 68 words. Due to this extreme brevity, the task is addressed only minimally. While the writer attempts to state a position regarding tall apartment blocks versus small houses, the ideas are heavily restricted, overly generalised, and lack any meaningful extension, support, or relevant examples. To reach higher bands, the writer must expand the response significantly, develop a fully articulated argument with well-reasoned explanations, and ensure all parts of the prompt are thoroughly explored.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

Cohesion and coherence are limited because the text consists of a single brief paragraph rather than a properly structured essay. Although basic cohesive devices such as 'In my opinion' and 'Nevertheless' are used to link thoughts, the overall arrangement lacks clear progression and a logical flow of ideas. The transition from discussing employment to small houses and nature is abrupt. To improve, the writer needs to organise the essay into distinct paragraphs with clear topic sentences and manage referencing more effectively to guide the reader smoothly through the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, reflecting a limited range appropriate for simple communication. There are spelling and word choice errors, such as 'controversional' instead of controversial, and misuse of pluralisation in phrases like 'a larger cities'. While these errors do not completely obscure meaning, they restrict the lexical score. To achieve a higher band, the writer must demonstrate a broader range of vocabulary, incorporate less common lexical items accurately, and pay closer attention to word formation and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical structures are limited to simple sentences and very basic attempts at complex forms. There are noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article misuse in 'government should focus' and incorrect prepositional phrases like 'rather then' instead of 'rather than'. These errors require effort from the reader to parse, though they do not entirely impede communication. To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of complex sentence structures with good control over verb forms, tenses, and agreements.

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

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