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 cities, one way of providing enough accomodation to the people is to build more residential buildings but it can compromise the quality of life of residents in the long run.

Construction of tall residential buildings plays a part in global warming and pollution in big cities. Due to advancement in technology and the busy schedules in recent times, there is a shift towards using private automobiles for travelling compared to the preferance of public transport in the past. In cities, almost every house has their own vehicle and this causes increase in emulsion of gases which are than trapped in the atmsophere due to construction of tall buildings and the decline in green patches.

In the past, the cities were somewhat peaceful due to greenery and less population. Every residential area used to have parks and green open patches, which played a huge role in ventilation. Nowadays, it is a luxury and once in a while experience to witness fresh, clean and cool breeze in the big cities like Karachi and Lahore. The necessity to construct more buildings for the accomodation of growing population cannot be denied but the measures should be taken for the conservation of environment by plantation more trees in the vacinities. Furthermore, the tall buildings can also bring havoc to the city if a earthquake or it's aftershocks strikes the city. So, quality control and check of construction materials is also necessary.

In my opinion, the number of tall building in the cities should be proportional to the number of trees planted for the better quality of life of it's residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present a relevant concern about whether tall apartment blocks are the best solution, focusing on pollution, loss of green space and earthquake safety. However, the response does not clearly answer the extent to which you agree or disagree. The opening says high-rise construction “can compromise” quality of life, while the conclusion proposes linking the number of buildings to the number of trees; neither makes your position on the statement fully explicit. The discussion also gives limited support for the central issue of providing enough homes: for example, it does not compare tall blocks with alternatives or explain how they affect housing supply. State your position directly and develop a few reasons with specific explanation or examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to environmental concerns, a further paragraph on green space and safety, and a concluding opinion. Linking phrases such as “Furthermore” and “In my opinion” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is not always clear: the second paragraph moves from private cars to emissions and then to tall buildings without fully explaining the connection, while the earthquake point arrives abruptly in the next paragraph. Some references, such as “this” and “the measures,” could be more precise. Organise each body paragraph around one main reason, then explain and illustrate it before moving to the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “global warming,” “green patches,” “conservation of environment” and “quality control,” which helps communicate your concerns. There is also an attempt to use less common expressions such as “plays a part” and “bring havoc.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “accomodation,” “preferance,” “emulsion” where “emission” is intended, and “vacinities.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “once in a while experience” and “plantation more trees.” These choices occasionally make the reader pause, although the main ideas remain understandable. Check spelling carefully and learn common collocations for housing, urban development and environmental impacts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “Due to” and “which,” and most of the message can be followed. However, errors in agreement, articles, plurals and sentence construction recur. For example, “almost every house has their own vehicle” has a singular-plural mismatch, and “the number of tall building” needs a plural noun. In “if a earthquake or it's aftershocks strikes,” the article, possessive form and verb agreement are problematic. The final sentence also uses “it's” where a possessive is needed. Review agreement and articles, and proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb; this will make your complex ideas easier to read.

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