Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

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)

In many large cities, the demand for housing is increasing rapidly due to population growth and urbanisation. Some people believe that constructing tall apartment block is the best way to provide sufficient accommodation. I partly agree with this view because, in my opinion although high rise building can accommodate many people in limited space , other housing solutions are also necessary.

On the one hand , building tall apartment block can be effective way to address building shortage . Large cities often have limited land to be constructed on, and high rise building provide home for hundred of families on a relatively small area of land. Further more apartments can build near school , work places, and public transport facilities, making daily life easy and more convinient for residents. This approach may also reduce urban sprawl and save more land for agriculture.

On the other hand, reying entirely on high rise building has several disadvantages. Firstly high rise building can make a space overcrowed and people must have to compromise with each other regarding every possible facility of ling in building like cleaning etc. In addition government can play good role in provinf housing schemes for people having large family and who needs large space to live in and also who admires private gardens

In conclusion , I believe that tall apartment blocks are imoportant solution to manage the population in cities and also the good solution to housing shortage. However it suits to people on certain condition. People having big families must face some difficulties on this high rise apartment blocks solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is identifiable: you partly agree that tall apartment blocks help, while arguing that other housing is needed. You give relevant reasons, including limited land, proximity to services, reduced urban sprawl, and the needs of larger families. However, the response addresses the question only partly because the alternative solutions are not explained clearly enough, and the disadvantages of high-rise living are asserted rather than supported. For example, the point about residents compromising over facilities is difficult to interpret, while the suggestion that governments provide housing for large families needs a specific explanation of how this would meet demand. Develop each main idea with a clear example and explain why it supports your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present contrasting considerations, and a conclusion restates your position. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow this structure. However, progression within the second body paragraph is less clear: the discussion moves from overcrowding to government housing schemes and private gardens without explaining the connection between these points. Some linking is also mechanical, and references such as “this approach” and “this high rise apartment blocks solution” could be more precise. Use topic sentences that identify each paragraph’s main point, then connect each supporting detail explicitly to that point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “population growth,” “urbanisation,” “limited land,” “urban sprawl,” and “private gardens,” which gives you a useful foundation for discussing housing. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “accommodation” and “public transport facilities.” However, noticeable spelling errors and inaccurate word choices reduce precision, including “convinient,” “overcrowed,” “reying,” and “admires.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “building shortage” and “provide home for hundred of families.” Aim to check spelling carefully and learn common collocations as complete phrases. More precise terms for housing supply, density, and residents’ needs would help express your ideas clearly and naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause with “because” and a relative clause in “people having large family and who needs large space.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms occur often enough to make some passages difficult to follow. For example, “although high rise building can accommodate…” is awkwardly joined to the main clause, and “people must have to compromise” uses two modal forms where one is needed. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and subject–verb agreement, as in “tall apartment block” and “high rise building provide.” Practise building accurate sentences with one clear main clause, then add subordinate clauses and check agreement and punctuation.

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