Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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)

Many people belive that building high rise appartment is the solution for the home shortage. I partialy agee with this as it could save more space and be the shalter for more but at the same time, it could cause the problems for elderly individuals.

On the one hand, Buildings these kind of home block can be more benificial because it could save alot of space where the homes for everyone would have been build and on that leftover space more skyscraper can be build. Furthermore, these could give shalter to more people at the same time. For example, In recent times urban areas constructing more high rise blocks so it could the home of hundreds at the same time.

However, despite these benefits, it could cause problems for older genration. For example, if someone has a appartment in the fifth floor and the lift is not working, it would cause so much hurdle to them. Additionally, in the time of any earth quakes, tall buildings can cause massive distruction and be the cause of the human life.

At the end, while high buildings apartment blocks can be the most effective way so solve home crisis it could also lead to some problems that could not go overlooked.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a relevant, partly balanced response: the introduction says you “partially agree,” and the body considers both space-saving benefits and difficulties for older residents and earthquake safety. These points address the question, but the position is not fully clear: the conclusion calls apartment blocks “the most effective way” to solve the crisis, which sounds more strongly supportive than the introduction. The reasons are also under-developed. For instance, the example about a lift failing illustrates inconvenience, but you do not explain how this concern affects whether tall blocks are the best overall solution. The response is 208 words, below the required 250, so there is limited space to develop and support your ideas. Extend the discussion with specific explanation and a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph supporting high-rise housing, a contrasting paragraph, and a conclusion. “On the one hand” and “However” help signal the shift between the main arguments, so the reader can follow the basic progression. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, however. In the first body paragraph, the link between saving space and building more skyscrapers is difficult to follow, and “Furthermore, these could give shelter…” repeats the previous point rather than extending it. The conclusion also introduces a stronger position than the introduction. To improve, make each paragraph develop one distinct point, use pronouns with clear references, and ensure the conclusion accurately reflects the argument established earlier.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “high-rise,” “apartment blocks,” “urban areas,” and “earthquakes,” and the reader can generally understand your main ideas. However, the range is limited and several spelling, word-form, and collocation errors make the writing less precise: “belive,” “appartment,” “shalter,” and “distruction” are examples. Phrases such as “cause so much hurdle” and “be the cause of the human life” are also unnatural and obscure your intended meaning. Aim to learn accurate topic-specific combinations and check spelling carefully. For example, you could describe “housing shortages,” “accommodate more residents,” and “pose a safety risk,” which would express your points more naturally and precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a conditional example: “if someone has an apartment in the fifth floor and the lift is not working…”. This shows an effort to explain consequences, but errors occur frequently and sometimes make the meaning difficult to interpret. Examples include “building high rise apartment is the solution,” where the noun phrase needs clearer number and article use, and “it could the home of hundreds,” which is missing a verb. There are also problems with agreement and sentence construction, as in “Buildings these kind of home block can be more beneficial.” Practise accurate basic sentence patterns first, then build longer sentences with clauses. Check articles, plurals, verb forms, and punctuation during revision.

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.