Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 this fast-paced world, The number of population increasing rapidly and in large cities buildings are constructed tall to fulfill shortage of homes. I think tall buildings are good to resist deforestation and provide more houses to citizen. I will discuss this point and give examples in upcoming paragraphs.

Firstly, The population increasing and people from countrysides migrating towards cities so it cause for shortage of homes. Because, people wants to have great jobs and live a good lifestyle so they come to city. So, nowadays builders making more plans for tall apartment which make in small amount of space and provide large number of homes. For example, a small residential 2 storey home can not able to provide roof for more than 2 or 3 families, whereas a tall apartment with 10 floors built on double space of that house can provide minimum 30 to 40 house at one place. Moreover it prevents from cutting trees for making space for industries and appartments.

Secondly, Some big appartments can provide shelters for population more than of a normal village. Also tall buildings provide number of shops, offices, restaurants and cafeteria etc. Meanwhile if tall apartments are not built in cities it requires large amount of space. This development also has some disadvantages like it feels like crowdy space, less breathable air, require huge parking spaces, costly maintenance services and many more. But the advantage overweigh the disadvantages.

In conclusion, I strongly agree with in large cities the best way to provide homes is to build tall apartment blocks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear throughout: you agree that tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide homes in large cities. You address the main issue with relevant reasons, including accommodating more households on limited land and reducing pressure to clear trees. The comparison between a two-storey home and a ten-floor apartment also gives the argument a concrete example. This meets the task well, but some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, the claim that tall buildings prevent deforestation would be stronger if you explained how concentrating housing reduces urban expansion. You also mention disadvantages, but do not weigh them against the benefits in much detail. Developing these points more fully would make the response more convincing and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, with a clear progression from housing demand to the benefits and drawbacks of apartment blocks. Signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and several sentences begin with repeated “So” or “Also.” Some links between ideas are unclear: the second body paragraph moves from shops and offices to disadvantages without explaining how these points support the main argument. The phrase “Meanwhile if tall apartments are not built” also introduces a consequence that could be stated more precisely. Use a wider range of linking methods and make the relationship between each example and your position explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “shortage of homes,” “residential,” “maintenance services,” and “parking spaces.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “deforestation” and “crowdy space.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning less natural. For example, “provide roof for” does not express providing accommodation, and “the advantage overweigh the disadvantages” is not the correct form of the expression. Spelling errors such as “appartments” and “countrysides” also affect accuracy. Aim to use precise housing and urban-planning vocabulary, and check spelling and common word partnerships.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison with “whereas” and a conditional structure beginning “if tall apartments are not built.” These attempts help convey relationships between ideas, but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear in “The population increasing” and “people wants,” while sentence construction is faulty in “so it cause for shortage of homes.” Articles, plurals and punctuation also need attention; for example, “a small residential 2 storey home can not able to provide” combines an incorrect modal pattern with an awkward sentence structure. Some sentences remain understandable, but these recurring errors can make the reader pause. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and build complex sentences from reliable grammatical patterns.

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