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)

In order to have sufficient number of homes in larger cities, it may require building tall apartments blocks.In my perspective i agree to this statement to some extent. As building tall can save land areas and help expanding cities in length not width.People can have much more chance to socialize if they live in the same building. But the part where i disagree is ,it may not be feasible for people with certain problems.And Its very difficult to maintain safety in taller buildings.

About saving land area, it can be seen as a big solution. Lose of valuable land used for agriculture and getting resources being flattened out for residence spaces, But this can be cured by implementing this apartment blocks strategy. Social interaction can also be an important reason to have this plan in bigger cities. To some people networking with others can give boost to their careers. For you to thrive in bigger cities you have to get people to know your existence. For example, Bigger cities in world like new york and chicago etc works on this principal. In these cities people would rather have an apartment in a building where successfull people live rather than isolating yourself in your personal space.

Only harm in this plan that i have obeserved is the people having certain anxiety problems like height phobia. And Safety features like fire exit and building structure can be seen as a difficult thing to do. E.g. people with height cant live in new york skyline apartments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You give a clear, qualified position: you agree that tall apartment blocks can help provide homes, while identifying concerns about accessibility and safety. The points about conserving land and enabling social interaction are relevant, and the examples of New York and Chicago help illustrate your view. However, the discussion is unevenly developed. The socialising and career-networking point takes up considerable space but is not clearly connected to how high-rise housing provides enough homes. The concerns about anxiety and fire safety are introduced but receive little explanation. To strengthen the response, explain more directly how apartment blocks increase housing capacity and develop each counterargument with a specific consequence or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall structure: an introduction states your position, the middle develops benefits, and the final paragraph presents drawbacks. Basic links such as “But” and “For example” help readers follow the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to track. The shift from saving land to social interaction, then career networking, makes the central argument less focused, while “Only harm in this plan” introduces concerns abruptly. Some connections are also unclear, such as how living near successful people demonstrates that high-rise blocks are the best way to provide enough homes. Use topic sentences to signal each paragraph’s main point and link examples explicitly to the housing question; clearer paragraphing and more precise referencing would improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt vocabulary relevant to urban housing, including “valuable land,” “social interaction,” “networking,” and “safety features.” These choices show some range, but several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision: “Lose of valuable land,” “expanding cities in length not width,” and “works on this principal.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “successfull,” “obeserved,” and “principal” also stand out. Some phrases, including “people to know your existence,” are understandable but not idiomatic in this context. Aim for accurate collocations and more precise language about housing density, land use, and building safety. Proofreading spelling and choosing natural phrases will make your argument clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and attempts at longer structures, for example, “People can have much more chance to socialize if they live in the same building.” However, control is inconsistent, and some sentence forms are incomplete or awkward. “In order to have sufficient number of homes … it may require building” has an unclear subject, while “Lose of valuable land … being flattened out” is not a complete, well-formed sentence. There are also errors with articles, plurals, agreement, and punctuation, as in “tall apartments blocks,” “a big solution,” and the missing spaces after full stops. Practise building complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check article and plural forms. Greater accuracy in these areas would make the ideas easier to follow.

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