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 time, many people wants to move from rural areas to urban areas beacause of decent and convenient lifestyle. Large cities have more opportunities for jobs and business, and thats the main reason of rising population in large cities. The accomodation became difficult to get beacuse of high demand in large cities. If everyone wants to live in the urban areas, then its obvious that everyone need some place to live there also.

On my perspective, i agree for this statement that building tall apartment blocks is the way to provide homes for the people but it can really be a bad idea for the infrastructure of those cities.

I will take some examples from some big cities like Paris and Tokyo

.

In Paris, many people have different type of accomodation like in small blocks because of the beautiful infrastructure of this lovely city. It is really packed with many people and obviously many tourists. But if the goverment build tall buildings there, then this city's environment and vibe can really get big change, it can also loose its reputation of historical and architectural infrastructure.

But on the other side, if we see Tokyo then it have some different points. There are also tall buildings in Tokyo but also small houses. Many people can get different vibes in the same city. The houses are little expensive than apartments in the main city but also really packed. About half of the Japan's population is living in Tokyo.

In my opinion, if we look on these two examples then building large and tall apartment blocks is one of the best way for great population to live in the city but it still depends on the infrastructure of the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that tall apartment blocks can help house large urban populations, while recognising that they may harm a city’s character. The Paris and Tokyo examples are relevant and address the question, so the response covers the main task. However, the discussion is unevenly developed. The Paris paragraph explains the possible loss of historical character, but the Tokyo example mainly says that both tall buildings and small houses exist; it does not clearly show how high-rise construction provides enough homes or why it is effective. The conclusion also calls tall blocks “one of the best way” without weighing this against alternatives. Develop the practical benefits and limitations more explicitly, and support each example with a clear link to your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a stated opinion, separate paragraphs on Paris and Tokyo, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument understandable. You also use signposts such as “But on the other side” to indicate contrast. At times, however, the progression is mechanical or the links between ideas are unclear. The standalone sentence “I will take some examples…” and the isolated full stop interrupt the flow, while “In my opinion, if we look on these two examples” repeats the earlier framing rather than synthesising the argument. Some references, such as “it” in the Tokyo paragraph, are not immediately clear. Integrate examples into the argument and use clearer links between claims and supporting details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “rural areas,” “urban areas,” “high demand,” “infrastructure,” and “historical and architectural.” There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “packed” and “reputation.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or informal, which sometimes makes the meaning less precise. Examples include “decent and convenient lifestyle,” “get big change,” and “different vibes.” Spelling errors such as “beacause,” “accomodation,” “goverment,” and “loose” are noticeable. Aim for more precise academic phrasing and check spelling carefully; for instance, describe the effect on a city’s “character” rather than its “vibe.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if the government build tall buildings there, then…” and a contrastive sentence beginning “But on the other side.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect fluency. For example, “many people wants” should use a plural verb, “everyone need” requires singular agreement, and “Tokyo then it have” has an incorrect verb form. Other examples include “the houses are little expensive than apartments” and “one of the best way,” where comparison and plural forms need correction. Review subject–verb agreement and sentence patterns, then proofread each sentence for complete, accurate grammar.

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