Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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 era of globalization one of the most challenging part is finding a home in large city. In my opinion, building tall apartment blocks is one of the most effective solution though it comes with a cost.

Firstly, one of the major problem with tall apartment blocks is the space. It is often seen in such apartments that people complain about parking issues and compact space for furnitures. Low availability of sunlight is also one of the major issues faced by people.

Nevertheless, building tall apartment blocks in large metropolitan cities helps many people to find homes which are usually new to the city or shifting for a job. It is considered as more cost effective than renting or buying a whole house. In many big cities, finding a new home often comes with a lot of stress and due to housing crisis many people fall into scams and end up paying double or even triple of the actual price. One of my friend Kevin, who owns an apartment block in the city of Dublin told me that people here struggle to find a decent place for stay and mostly students get into the trap of scams. Whereas, building more apartment blocks will provide the space for living and eventually it will solve the problem of housing crisis in big cities.

To conclude, I would suggest that there should be a proper protocol on building tall aprtment blocks which mainly focuses on solving the housing crisis and providing a safer space to live.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is identifiable: you support tall apartment blocks as an effective response, while acknowledging drawbacks such as limited space and sunlight. The discussion is relevant, and the Dublin example helps illustrate pressure on housing and the risk of scams. However, the response only partly develops the question of whether this is the best way to provide enough homes. The disadvantages are listed but not weighed against the benefits, and the claim that more blocks will solve the housing crisis is asserted rather than explained. The final recommendation for a “proper protocol” is also vague. To strengthen the response, explain why high-rise building is preferable to alternatives and develop each main reason with a clear consequence or specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to drawbacks, benefits, and a conclusion. “Firstly” and “Nevertheless” signal a change in direction, and the final paragraph returns to the issue of housing. However, the progression within the main discussion is not always clear: the paragraph shifts from affordability to scams, then to a personal anecdote and a broad conclusion about solving the crisis. The relationship between the anecdote and the claim about building more blocks could be made more explicit. Some linking is also mechanical, and the conclusion introduces a new recommendation without explaining it. Organise the body around a small number of clear reasons, and use transitions and referencing to show how each example supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “housing crisis,” “metropolitan cities,” “cost effective,” and “availability of sunlight,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “compact space” and “protocol.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “space for furnitures,” “place for stay,” and “new to the city or shifting for a job.” The misspelling “aprtment” also reduces accuracy. These issues make the range seem limited and sometimes require the reader to interpret your intended meaning. Build precision by learning common housing collocations and checking word forms and spelling; for example, use “furniture,” “a place to stay,” and “moving to the city for work.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “though” and the longer sentence beginning “In many big cities.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “one of the most challenging part” needs a plural noun, and “one of the major problem” has the same agreement issue. “One of my friend” also requires a plural form after “one of.” The sentence about people being “new to the city or shifting for a job” has an unclear grammatical relationship between its parts. Practise checking singular and plural forms, articles, and parallel structures, then revise longer sentences to ensure each clause connects clearly.

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.