Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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)

We often hear that urban areas, especially cities, are overcrowded with a large number of population. This is true to some extent, as we can see the traffic jams, the pollution, and the competitive system everywhere. But the major issue is also providing appropriate residential accommodation to all.

In urban areas, people mostly struggle to find a place to stay. They often have to face high prices, fewer facilities and long commute routes. However, when they find the house with less price it often comes with a price of having less facilities.

Most people believe that the best way to resolve this issue is to build a block of tall apartments, which, to some extent, is sufficient for accommodating a large number of people in limited space and size.

To some extent, I disagree with this statement, as the building blocks may appear to be effective in some way, but it can be costly, especially if we keep in view the earthquakes and the structural condition of the blocks. For Example: The fire incident that happened in China recently, which caused 2 buildings to catch fire and thousands of people to burn and die. Or the Floods that caused a whole building to collapse in the city of Swat, Pakistan.

In Conclusion, rather than building a tall apartment block, the govt should focus on providing equal opportunities in all the cities to prevent urban population increase to prevent these issues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the housing problem and give a position—“I disagree”—with relevant concerns about cost and safety. However, the response only partially answers the question: it does not explain in enough detail whether tall blocks are the best way to provide homes, or compare them with practical alternatives. The examples of fires and a building collapse are not clearly linked to tall apartment blocks or supported with enough explanation, so their relevance is uncertain. The conclusion shifts to equal opportunities across cities without showing how this would provide housing. The response is also 10 words below the required minimum. Develop two clear reasons, explain each one, and use a specific example that directly supports your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, discussion of housing difficulties, a position with supporting examples, and a conclusion. Paragraph breaks help separate these stages, and transitions such as “However” and “In Conclusion” make the direction of the argument visible. At times, though, the progression is not fully clear. The second paragraph describes housing problems but does not lead explicitly to the later safety argument, while the examples in the fourth paragraph are introduced abruptly. The final sentence repeats “to prevent” and moves to a new proposal without connecting it to the preceding points. Use clearer topic sentences and explain how each example supports the paragraph’s main idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “overcrowded,” “residential accommodation,” “commute routes,” and “structural condition,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “a large number of population,” “less facilities,” and “with less price.” These expressions may make the reader pause, even though the general meaning is usually recoverable. There is also repetition of broad terms such as “issue” and “building.” Aim for more precise housing and urban-planning vocabulary, and check whether nouns are countable and whether phrases sound natural in context. For example, describe housing as “affordable” rather than using “less price.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concessive clause in “when they find the house with less price” and a contrast structure beginning “rather than.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. Examples include “a large number of population,” “the house,” and “less facilities”; these involve article, number, and countability patterns. The sentence beginning “For Example” is a fragment, and the final sentence is difficult to follow because its clauses are joined without a clear grammatical relationship. Use complete sentences, check singular and plural forms, and simplify long constructions when needed. More consistent control of these patterns would make your argument easier to read.

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