Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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)

Over the past decade, the population has vastly increased in cities, which has caused problems with accommodation. To overcome this issue, the best way to build tall apartments in large cities.

Metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi, New York, etc have seen a rapid increase in population in recent decades. Due to this, there is a big challenge for accommodation. To overcome this, the best way is to build tall apartment blocks. Since the land in the cities is already occupied, developers and builders have come up with the solution to accommodate people vertically in apartments. We can see tall skyscrapers in these cities with heights reaching hundreds of meters or more.

There are many issues; for example, skyscrapers in Dubai face sandstorms, and in Tokyo, where earthquakes are common, they can cause serious damage or even catastrophe. To accommodate a large portion of the population, engineers and developers have developed many researched techniques to address these issues. Laying a deep foundation, as used in Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and different types of architectural designs help them to resolve these issues. Ultimately, the goal is to provide enough homes for people.

In conclusion, it seems to me that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide enough homes in mega cities. Due to the vastly increased population, it is important to build houses vertically to provide accommodation. The developers and builders, after extensive research, say that it's a crucial step to provide homes to everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you agree that tall apartment blocks are the best solution, and you give relevant context about urban population growth and limited land. The examples of Mumbai, Delhi, New York, Dubai and Tokyo help illustrate the topic, but the discussion mainly asserts that vertical building is necessary rather than comparing it with other ways to provide homes or explaining its benefits in detail. The risks of sandstorms and earthquakes are mentioned, yet the response does not fully explain how these affect your argument. The conclusion repeats your view without adding support. The response is 238 words, below the 250-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt are excluded. Develop and support your reasons more fully to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the ideas generally remain focused on housing in large cities. Linking phrases such as “Due to this,” “Ultimately,” and “In conclusion” make the relationships between points understandable. However, progression is limited: the first body paragraph repeats the claim that tall buildings are the best solution, while the next shifts to engineering risks without clearly connecting them to whether this approach is best. Repetition of “To overcome this” and “provide enough homes” also makes cohesion somewhat mechanical. Use each paragraph to develop a distinct reason, and make the links between the risks, solutions and your overall position more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “accommodation,” “developers,” “vertically,” “skyscrapers,” “foundation” and “architectural designs,” which allows you to discuss urban housing and construction. There is some variety, but several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “a big challenge for accommodation,” “many researched techniques,” and “vastly increased population.” Repeated use of “provide” and “build” also limits the range. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding your main point, but more precise collocations would make the argument clearer and more fluent. Aim to use vocabulary that describes the housing shortage, construction methods and their effects accurately, rather than relying on broad or awkward phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the population has vastly increased in cities, which has caused problems” and a conditional-style explanation of earthquake risks. Most ideas remain understandable, but some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. In the opening, “the best way to build tall apartments” lacks a main verb such as “is”; “Due to this, there is a big challenge for accommodation” is also not formed naturally. The sentence beginning “In Tokyo, where earthquakes are common” has an unclear connection to its main clause. Review complete sentence structure and clause links, and check articles and prepositions. Greater control of these patterns would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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