Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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)

Some people believe that the best way to provide enough homes in large citie is to build tall apartment blocks. I clearly agree with this statement because building tall apartment blocks provide many facilties to the people.

On the one hand, it is very good thing for those people which cannot afford separate one or two floor rental home and which are unable to build their own home. If there are many tall apartment blocks in many cities people can afford them easily. For example, one person who is educated and earning much money from his job can easily take their separate home and also has ability to build their own home but the other person who is not better in financial way can afford home in only apartment blocks.

However, I do not believe that building tall apartment blocks alone is sufficient to solve the housing problem. High-rise developments can create overcrowding and place pressure on public services if they are not properly planned. In addition, some people may prefer houses with gardens and private outdoor spaces, particularly families with young children. Poorly designed apartment buildings may also lack green spaces and living space which can negatively affect people's quality of life. Therefore, governments should also invest in affordable houses, low-rise apartments and the development of smaller towns to reduce pressure on major cities.

In conclusion, I agree with this statement because it is a good thing for many peoples to build more and tall apartment blocks for enough homes in large cities but bad apparment blocks also effects the people health because many people like to live in separate private homes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you agree that tall apartment blocks can help provide homes, and you also recognise that they are not a complete solution. The discussion of affordability and the later concerns about overcrowding, services and green space are relevant to the question. However, the main supporting example is difficult to follow: the contrast between a well-paid person and someone with fewer financial resources does not clearly explain why apartment blocks are the best way to increase housing supply. The conclusion also repeats your view without resolving how strongly you support the proposal given the limitations you identify. Develop the central argument with a clearer explanation and a specific example of how high-rise housing can accommodate more residents in a city.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The contrast signalled by “On the one hand” and “However” helps readers see that you consider both benefits and drawbacks, and the final paragraph returns to your position. At times, though, the progression within paragraphs is unclear. In the first body paragraph, the comparison between two types of people is hard to connect to the claim that apartment blocks are affordable. The conclusion also introduces a somewhat different emphasis on health and private homes rather than clearly synthesising the earlier points. Make each paragraph develop one main idea in a logical sequence, and use clearer links between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “high-rise developments,” “overcrowding,” “public services,” “green spaces” and “quality of life.” These terms help communicate the disadvantages of poorly planned construction. However, the range is uneven, and several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “many facilities to the people,” “not better in financial way” and “separate private homes.” Spelling errors such as “citie,” “facilties” and “apparment” are also noticeable. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall argument, but they limit precision and fluency. Build a more accurate range of housing-related collocations and check spelling, especially in repeated or central terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional clause in “if they are not properly planned” and a relative clause in “which can negatively affect people's quality of life.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur frequently in basic sentence patterns and agreement. For example, “building tall apartment blocks provide” should use a singular verb, while “those people which cannot afford” needs a more suitable relative structure. The long example beginning “For example, one person who is educated…” is difficult to control and contains inconsistent pronouns and verb forms. The conclusion also has problems with plural agreement and sentence construction. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles and pronoun reference, and divide complex ideas into manageable sentences.

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