Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 provide suffcient houses in big cities is to construct high rise apartment blocks. I completely agree that this is the most effective solution to tackle the housing shortage.

The main reason why tall building are the best solution is that they solve land scarcity.In large city like lahore and karachi, there is almost no space left to built traditional houses, so constructing vertically is the only practical option. Moreover, a single tall apartment block can accomodate hundreds of families from an is also far more cost-effective for the goverment to provide electricity, water and public transport to one high density building then to expand infrastructure accross a horizontal row.

Another major benefit of tall apartment blocks is that they prevent green areas and make city services more efficient. When city expands horizontally ,they consume valueable formland and green spaces on their edges. In contrast, vertical construction keeps the city compact and protects the environment. Furthermore the goverment provide efficient public transport schools and hospitals to thousands of people in a single area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you completely agree that tall apartment blocks are the most effective solution. You give relevant reasons, including limited land in Lahore and Karachi, lower infrastructure costs, and protecting green spaces. However, the response addresses the task only partially because these points are asserted rather than sufficiently explained or supported with specific examples. For instance, you say vertical construction is “the only practical option” but do not consider other approaches or explain why they are less effective. The final point about providing schools and hospitals is also brief. The response is 73 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your argument. Extend each reason with explanation or an example and add a concluding summary of your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction states your view, followed by two paragraphs presenting supporting reasons. The ideas generally progress from land scarcity and infrastructure costs to environmental protection and city services. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Another major benefit,” and “In contrast” help signal these relationships, so the overall arrangement is coherent. To make the progression clearer and more controlled, develop one main idea at a time and ensure each sentence connects explicitly to the paragraph’s central point. Some links are abrupt, particularly the move from protecting green spaces to the claim about public transport, schools, and hospitals. A concluding paragraph would also give the essay a more complete shape. Check punctuation around transitions and sentence boundaries to avoid disrupting the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “land scarcity,” “high density,” “infrastructure,” “green spaces,” and “public transport.” These choices show an attempt to discuss urban housing beyond basic terms. However, spelling errors and imprecise or awkward combinations are noticeable, such as “suffcient,” “accomodate,” “valueable formland,” and “horizontal row.” Some wording also makes the intended meaning less clear, as in “from an is also far more cost-effective.” Aim for accurate spelling and natural collocations, and choose precise terms when describing urban development. For example, “expand infrastructure across a horizontal row” could be expressed more naturally as “extend infrastructure across a sprawling urban area.” Proofreading and learning vocabulary in common word partnerships would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “The main reason why…” and a contrast structure with “In contrast.” The main argument is usually understandable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement occur often enough to affect clarity. For example, “a single tall apartment block can accomodate hundreds of families from an is also far more cost-effective” contains a broken sentence, while “tall building are” and “the goverment provide” show subject–verb agreement problems. There are also missing or incorrect articles and plural forms in phrases such as “In large city” and “city expands.” Work on building complete sentences, checking that subjects match their verbs, and using articles consistently. Varying sentence patterns is useful, but accuracy should come first.

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

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