Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The construction of tall apartment blocks and other buildings to provide shelter in larger cities is beneficial, as cities face housing shortages.

On the one hand, large cities have planned infrastructure and housing design, including amenities such as parks, garden areas, nearby schools and work locations. Thus, everyone wants to settle in large cities such as tier-1 and tier-2 cities. Because of their planned infrastructure, buildings are large and were constructed based on assumptions about the future consequences regarding the population of nearby areas and the rural public that rapidly shifted toward cities for work.

To manage this rapid growth of population from suburban and rural regions, a framework was needed to construct tall apartment blocks that were also economically inexpensive. The constructors and businesspeople thought about all the professions during the development of a building for each individual.

If the buildings are smaller in size, then they suffocate the people in the buildings and also cause mental disorders. These disorders often develop when a person lives in a closed room rather than an open-spaced room.

It is difficult to provide amenities in small buildings that are easily accessible in large buildings.

On the other hand, large buildings require a larger area of a state or district. This contributes to the economy of wealthy people by constructing a large building to make a profit from a single building rather than multiple small housing. It saves the cost of construction and liabilities. However, both types of buildings are adequate to provide housing space to newcomers and native peoples.

In my opinion, it is neither about a large building or a small building; it is about the housing. On a practical basis, housing is important rather than large building or smaller one.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address the topic and give a concluding view that housing matters more than whether a building is large or small. However, the response does not clearly state how far you agree or disagree with the specific claim that tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide enough homes. The discussion of amenities and population growth is relevant, but several points are asserted rather than explained—for example, the claim that smaller buildings cause mental disorders needs support and a clearer link to the question. The paragraph about wealthy people and construction costs introduces a potentially useful counterpoint, but its implications are not developed. Make your position explicit in the introduction and support it with specific reasons or examples comparing tall blocks with alternatives.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has separate paragraphs and uses basic signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In my opinion,” so the reader can identify a broad structure. However, the progression between ideas is not consistently clear: the discussion moves from city amenities to population growth, then to mental health, without fully explaining how each point supports the argument about tall blocks. The contrast between the two sides is also weakened by the final claim that both types of buildings are adequate, followed by a conclusion that does not resolve the comparison. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “These disorders” depend on a claim that has not been established. Organise each body paragraph around one clear reason and connect it explicitly to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “housing shortages,” “planned infrastructure,” “population,” “amenities,” and “construction,” which helps communicate the general subject. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “rapid growth of population” and “economically inexpensive.” However, some combinations are unnatural or imprecise, including “rural public,” “future consequences regarding the population,” and “open-spaced room.” Repetition of “large building” and “small building” also limits flexibility. Choose more conventional collocations and use precise terms for housing types and residents; this will make your ideas easier to follow and sound more natural. The vocabulary is generally understandable, but accuracy and variety are not yet consistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning “as,” “Because,” and “when.” Most sentences communicate their basic meaning, and punctuation generally helps separate the main ideas. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent understanding. For example, “buildings are large and were constructed” shifts awkwardly between present and past, while “a larger area of a state or district” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the building and the area. The sentence beginning “The constructors and businesspeople thought about all the professions” is also difficult to interpret because its structure does not clearly express the intended relationship. Practise maintaining consistent tense and building clearer clauses, especially when explaining cause and effect.

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

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