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)

The most effective way to supply sufficient housing in large cities is to construct high-rise buildings. I believe it is a good step to accomodate people in limited space, and middle class people can also afford it, but some families prefer private space to live.

In this period of modernity, it is a best way to construct buildings instead of homes on different lands. This kind of transformation will help everyone to find their spaces to live. I feel a small amount of land can be use for the construction of buildings so that more people can have their homes. These types of apartments are affordable as compare to traditional houses. People who are from a middle class background can also avail this offer. As a result, more people can live in main city instead of living in rular areas.

On the other hand, some families prefer to live in a private space, where no one can distrub them. Other reason is that, some people need open spaces to live, apartments are conjusted and there are no roof top. For them this will not be a good step.

In conclusion, neither its positive sides nor its negative sides can be ignored, but I am in the favour of this statement that, it will be a great initiative to build apartments for people who live far away from their jobs or schools, universities etc. As a result, this will make everyone's life more easy. They don't have to travel for hours to reach their destinations.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall preference for high-rise housing, especially in the introduction and conclusion, and you address both its benefits and a drawback. The points about using less land, affordability for middle-income residents, and shorter journeys to work or education are relevant. However, the discussion is only partly developed: for example, the claim that apartments are affordable is not explained or supported with an example, and the concern about families wanting privacy is stated briefly without showing how it affects the proposal. The position also becomes less precise in the conclusion, which begins by balancing both sides before supporting the statement. Explain more fully why high-rise blocks are the best solution, while acknowledging where alternatives may be needed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting apartment blocks, a paragraph presenting a disadvantage, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the main direction. Basic linking phrases such as “As a result” and “On the other hand” are used to signal relationships between ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes loose: the first body paragraph moves from land use to affordability and then to city-centre living without clearly connecting each point. Some links are also mechanical, and “neither its positive sides nor its negative sides can be ignored” does not lead smoothly into the writer’s final preference. Group related points and use clearer explanations of how each one supports the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “high-rise buildings,” “construction,” “apartments,” and “private space.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “middle class background” and “traditional houses.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which makes parts less natural: “avail this offer,” “a small amount of land can be use,” and “there are no roof top.” Spelling errors such as “accomodate,” “rular,” and “distrub” are noticeable. Build a more precise vocabulary for housing and urban planning, and check spelling and common word partnerships so your meaning is consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “where no one can disturb them” and a result clause beginning “so that.” Most ideas remain understandable, but grammatical errors occur across the response. Examples include “it is a best way,” “can be use,” “as compare to,” and “neither its positive sides nor its negative sides,” which show problems with articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. There are also punctuation issues, such as the comma before “but” in the opening and the comma after “statement” in the conclusion. Practise accurate article use and verb patterns, and proofread each sentence for a complete, correctly punctuated structure.

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