Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 beat way to give enough houses in large cities is to construct tall apartment blocks . I partly agree to this statement because there are some benefits and some disadvantages. In large cities land is very limited and expensive. Living in tall buildings save land and money .Many families live in tall buildings beacuse they want to save their money . They already have many expenses in larger cities. Moreover, in tall buildings there is a big laundary room where many families which live in a tall building apartments they can easily use machines. Tall buildings can accomodate hundereds of families on a small piece of land. This also makes it easier for the government to provide electricity, water, gas and public transport to more people in one area. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages like not really large homes and social and mental problems. Flats in tall buildings are ususally small, congested, no garden or open space . Big families need large houses. Living in high-rises can causes stress, no privacy and people do not know their neighbors. Tall apartment blocks may not provide large homes . Most flats are small . Families with many childern need large houses with open space . In conclusion, while building tall apartment blocks is the most efficient way to provide housing for a large number of people in big cities where land is expensive, it is not the best wy to provide large homes. The government should have a mix of both stratergies high rises for cities for the city center and planned housing socities

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you partly agree, recognising that high-rise blocks use scarce urban land efficiently while also arguing that they may not suit every family. Relevant support includes the point that many households can fit on a small site and that utilities and public transport can be provided more easily. You also address disadvantages such as limited space and privacy. However, some points are asserted rather than explained: the laundry-room example is not clearly connected to providing enough homes, and the claimed mental or social problems need a specific explanation or example. The conclusion introduces a mixed housing strategy, but this could be developed more clearly to show when each type of housing is preferable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall progression from the benefits of apartment blocks to their drawbacks and then a concluding recommendation. The contrast marker “On the other hand” helps signal the shift, and the conclusion returns to the central issue. However, the ideas are presented in one continuous paragraph, so the reader has to work to distinguish the main stages of the argument. Some points are repeated, particularly that flats are small and that large families need larger homes. Group the advantages and disadvantages into separate paragraphs, and use clearer links between each claim and its explanation. The final sentence is also difficult to follow because it combines the recommendation with several housing types without a clear structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “limited and expensive” land, “accommodate hundreds of families,” “congested,” and “open space.” These choices show an attempt to discuss housing and urban planning rather than relying only on very general language. However, spelling errors and imprecise or repetitive phrasing reduce control: examples include “laundary,” “hundereds,” “high-rises,” and repeated references to “large homes.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “social and mental problems” and “planned housing societies,” which would benefit from more precise wording. Aim to vary key terms and choose collocations that clearly express the intended point.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “because they want to save their money” and a contrast introduced by “On the other hand.” The main argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “Living in tall buildings save land” needs subject–verb agreement, while “Living in high-rises can causes stress” has an incorrect verb form after the modal. The sentence beginning “there is a big laundry room where many families which live…” is difficult to control and would be clearer if divided into shorter sentences. There are also inconsistent spaces before punctuation and missing sentence boundaries. Check agreement, modal verb forms, and sentence structure during revision.

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