Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

It is often argued that, the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.While this may look like a convincing solution because of the huge growth in the world population after 1960s alongside a significant amount of people migrating from rural areas to urban areas in search of better opportunities have led to a higher demand in housing spaces and by contructing taller apartment blocks do provide a way to accomodate this demand.

However, in the recent decades construction of tall apartments ,buildings and skyscrapers have led to some serious problems .These structures are basically made of concrete which traps a lot of incoming heat during the daytime creating an urban heat island and contributing towrds Global Warming. For an instance, it has been observed that cities with a lot of skyscrapers have recorded a rise in average temperature over the years. For example , American cities like New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas etc have recorded formations of urban heat islands very often .

Meanwhile, European cities like Paris, Berlin, Armsterdam, Vienna, Milan have a lot lesser number of tall structures ,hence formation of urban heat islands are rare. These cities too have a significant rising population leading to an increasing demand in housing space. However, with proper urban planning these cities have accomodated the demand without requiring to build tall apartments.

Therefore, in my personal opinion contruction of tall structures, apartments and skyscrapers is not the best way to provide enough homes in large cities . Meanwhile, proper urban planning can provide enough homes without building tall apartment blocks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear position: tall buildings can meet demand, but you believe urban planning is a better solution. The discussion of heat islands and the comparison with European cities are relevant, and you give examples to support your view. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the alternative of urban planning is asserted rather than explained: you do not show what planning measures could provide enough homes or how they compare with high-rise construction. The claim that cities with fewer tall buildings rarely experience heat islands also needs more careful support. The response is 246 words, four words below the 250-word minimum; this limits the space available to develop your reasons and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces the issue, presents concerns about tall buildings, compares cities, and concludes with your position. Paragraphing helps the reader follow this progression, and transitions such as “However,” “Meanwhile,” and “Therefore” signal changes in direction. Some cohesion is mechanical or unclear, though. “Meanwhile” does not clearly express the relationship between the European-city comparison and the preceding point, and the opening sentence is overloaded, making the contrast between the demand for housing and the proposed solution difficult to follow. The list of cities also interrupts the development of the comparison. To strengthen the organisation, make each paragraph’s main point explicit and use linking phrases that show the precise relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “urban heat island,” “urban planning,” “migrating,” and “accommodate,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “incoming heat” and “average temperature.” However, spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “contructing,” “accomodate,” “towrds,” and “Armsterdam” should be corrected, while “housing spaces” and “a lot lesser number” are awkward expressions. “For an instance” is also an inaccurate phrase. These errors do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and careful proofreading would make the argument sound more natural and controlled. Aim to use precise terms for the planning methods and housing options you discuss.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession with “While” and a contrast introduced by “However.” Nevertheless, complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to control. In the opening, “While this may look … because … have led … and by constructing … do provide” combines several clauses without a clear grammatical structure. The sentence beginning “These structures are basically made of concrete” also needs clearer punctuation and clause boundaries. There are errors with articles and agreement, as in “in the recent decades” and “formation of urban heat islands are rare,” and punctuation spacing is inconsistent. Use shorter, complete sentences when an idea contains several causes or contrasts, then check that each subject has a matching verb and that clauses are punctuated 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.