Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 big cities are overly crowded and one solution to it could be to build tall buildings so that more people could live in less space of land and I almost agree with it. However, it has it's own drawbacks too depending upon the nature of people for some it might be favorable for other it might not be a pleasing thought.

Now as were in 21 century and the human population has grown quite a lot and majority of the population of a country settle mostly in big cities to get better education and to keep up with the advancement but this side has a drawback and that more people in cities mean more resources, more shelters, more food, etc.. are required. Which means the government has to provide the means for such people and one of the best way to provide shelter to these people is to build tall buildings where it will allow more people to live per square meter. One of the examples could be the Dubai city of United Arab Emirates as it has one of the largest buildings and more people can stay in there penthouses and apartments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You take a position by saying you “almost agree” and give a relevant reason: tall buildings allow more people to live in a smaller area. The Dubai example also relates to high-rise housing. However, the response addresses the question only partially. It does not explain the drawbacks mentioned in the introduction, clarify what “almost agree” means, or compare tall blocks with other ways of providing homes. The discussion of population growth and demand for resources is broad, and the example is asserted rather than explained. The response is also 56 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop the argument. To strengthen the answer, state your position precisely and develop both supporting reasons and any qualification with specific explanation or examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall sequence: it introduces the issue, gives a reason for high-rise housing, and then offers Dubai as an example. Linking phrases such as “However,” “Now,” and “Which means” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the second paragraph contains several different points in one long stretch, and the final sentence beginning “Which means” is not a complete sentence. The contrast introduced by “However” is not followed by an explanation of the drawbacks, so the progression feels incomplete. The opening also combines the position and qualification without making their relationship clear. Use separate paragraphs for your position, supporting reasons, and qualification, and make each paragraph develop one main point with clear links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main idea, including “overly crowded,” “resources,” “shelters,” and “per square meter.” These choices show awareness of the subject, and the reader can generally understand your argument. However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “the nature of people,” “a pleasing thought,” and “stay in there penthouses.” Repetition of “people,” “cities,” and “build” also limits flexibility. Aim for more precise housing and urban-planning vocabulary, and check collocations and word forms. For example, “housing demand” or “residential density” would express your ideas more accurately than broad phrases such as “more resources” or “more people can stay.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a clause explaining that tall buildings “will allow more people to live per square meter.” The main message is usually understandable, but errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and possessives reduce accuracy. For example, “Which means the government has to provide” is a fragment, while “one of the best way” needs plural agreement. In “it has it's own drawbacks,” the possessive form should be “its,” and “as were in 21 century” has an incomplete verb phrase and missing article. Several sentences also run together, particularly the long sentence beginning “Now as were in 21 century.” Practise complete sentence structures and proofread for these recurring patterns.

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