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 best approach to give adequate number of living houses in large urban areas is to build tall apartment blocks. I strongly disagree with this sentiment because children should have enough space to play whatever they want, especially in a compound. Another reason is that people may get tired after a long time of work, which leads to another exhaustion. This essay is going to tell you from the perspective of my country.

The first reason is that children are usually unaware of their surroundings when they play. So, the danger and risk make parents worried. For example, there was a small child in my distant relative's home. He was so disturbing and wanted to play aggressively, which made parents think about him always instead of having fun with their relatives. Therefore, I would say children need enough space or a compound to play whatever they want.

The second reason is that every individual doesn't want to walk up all the stairs to get his room. Since in my country lifts are too expensive to implement in a building, apartment owners provide the stairs only. As a result, people tend to get more exhausted after work, which is walking up the stairs. For instance, when I went to my distant relative's home, I mentioned earlier, I was too tired walking up the stairs. When I arrived at the room where they were living, I just slept because of exhaustion. Therefore, I would say apartments may increase exhaustion in people.

In conclusion, although providing enough apartments to people seems cost-saving and efficient, it may restrict children from playing, and might be a barrier to some people, especially those who are unable to walk up the stairs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you strongly disagree with relying on tall apartment blocks, and you give two reasons—children’s play space and the difficulty of climbing stairs. These points are relevant, but the response only partially addresses the question of how best to provide enough homes in large cities. The discussion focuses on disadvantages of apartments without comparing them with other housing approaches or explaining how your concerns affect housing supply. The examples about your relative’s child and your own visit are personal, but they do not fully establish the broader claims; the child anecdote, in particular, is difficult to connect to apartment design. Develop each reason with clearer explanation and consider a practical alternative, such as mid-rise housing or mixed-density development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion that restates your position. Sequencing phrases such as “The first reason,” “The second reason,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the basic organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with repeated “For example” and “Therefore” patterns, and the links between claims and evidence are not always clear. The opening promises a perspective from your country, but the essay does not explain that context beyond the claim about lifts. The reference to the relative’s home “mentioned earlier” is understandable but repetitive. Use more varied links and make each example explicitly support the point it follows.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “apartment blocks,” “compound,” “lifts,” and “exhaustion.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “cost-saving and efficient.” However, the range is limited and several choices or combinations sound unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less precise. For example, “adequate number of living houses” and “another exhaustion” are not idiomatic, while “disturbing” does not clearly describe the child’s behaviour in this context. Repetition of “tired,” “exhausted,” and “stairs” also limits variety. Aim for accurate collocations and more precise housing vocabulary, while avoiding formal-sounding phrases that do not fit naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including clauses with “because,” “which,” and “although.” Most of the main ideas remain understandable, and the paragraph-level sentence patterns show an attempt to vary structure. However, control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences and in expressions involving articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For instance, “every individual doesn't want to walk up all the stairs to get his room” is awkwardly formed, and “which is walking up the stairs” does not connect grammatically to the preceding idea. “People may get tired after a long time of work, which leads to another exhaustion” also has an unclear clause relationship. Practise building complex sentences with clear subjects and logical links, then check articles and pronoun reference.

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