Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

Nowadays, their is a shortage of homes for many people in big cities. A number of people feels that to solve this issue the government should built tall apartments with more rooms in it. I partially agree with this viewpoint although, I feel that their can be some consequences to be faced with this development.

First of all, building tall apartment blocks rather than making new houses for people can provide some benefits to the society as well as the environment due the fact that their will be less cutting of forest. Moreover, it will provide less financial burden to the government because constructing homes for many individuals cost a lot of money which can be spend on other important things. For instance, spending money on building roads, hospitals and schools is necessary because their is a lack of things in many rural areas.

on the other hand, their can be some little drawbacks for some individuals this is because many people did not like to adjust with other pupils because they wanted some personal space not in the room but, outside their house. In addition, their can be some problem to be faced while building tall apartments. To illustrate, their can be a small chance that the building can fall or damage if not build properly. Secondly, it can be more expensive because of the equipment, labour and other things which is required to make apartments at that height and this thing can cost more than building homes.

I agree with this view point, that making more rooms in apartments for individuals to live can save the trees and the animals but, I believe their can be some negative impact on the society and the pupils with this development as some people do not like to adjust in the apartments, they feel comfortable at their own house.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the question by presenting a partial agreement and discussing benefits and drawbacks of tall apartment blocks. The points about reducing forest clearance and allowing government funds to be spent on roads, hospitals and schools are relevant, as are concerns about residents’ privacy and construction safety. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction says you partially agree, while the conclusion repeats this view without clearly weighing the arguments or explaining when apartment blocks are the best solution. Several ideas remain general—for example, the risk of a building falling is mentioned but not explained or supported. Develop fewer points with clearer reasoning and a specific example to make your response more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on advantages, a paragraph on disadvantages and a conclusion. Signposts such as “First of all,” “On the other hand” and “To illustrate” help readers identify the intended direction. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the first body paragraph moves from forest protection to government spending and then rural services without showing how these points connect to the central question. The final paragraph largely repeats earlier claims rather than drawing them together. Some linking phrases are awkward or repetitive, and the opening “on the other hand” should be capitalised. Group related ideas more tightly and use references and transitions that make the relationship between claims explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “shortage of homes,” “tall apartment blocks,” “personal space” and “construction.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less precise. For example, “adjust with other pupils” does not clearly express the idea of living near other residents, and “less cutting of forest” is an awkward way to describe reduced deforestation. Repeated use of “their can be” and “things” also limits precision. Aim for more accurate housing and urban-planning vocabulary, and check spelling and word forms such as “viewpoint” and “built” in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “although” and “if.” However, errors occur frequently in basic sentence structures and in attempts to combine ideas, so some sentences require extra effort to interpret. Examples include “A number of people feels,” “the government should built,” and “their can be,” where agreement or verb forms are incorrect. The sentence beginning “on the other hand” runs several ideas together, and punctuation around “although” and “but” is often faulty. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, modal verb patterns and sentence boundaries first; then build longer sentences with one clear main clause and correctly punctuated supporting clauses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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