Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-25

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)

It is often argued that constructing high-rise residential buildings is the most effective way to address the shortage of housing in major cities. I partially disagree with this statement because it accommodate more people and make efficient use urban land and support my opinion in upcoming paragraphs.

To commence with the disagreement, The first and foremost reason behind this is expensive maintenence. To explicate, tall buildings requires high amount of finance for their maintenance as well as it create a burden on the water supply and water shortages which can create serious concerns for residents. For instance, poorly maintained apartment blocks experience several serious problems such as lift breakdowns and poor management of water supply causing inconvenience for residents. Consequently, such development create a considerable pressure on infrastructure, particularly water supply and electricity. Another significant reason is lack of green spaces. To be more precise, if more land is used for residential purpose it leads to reductions in the number of gardens and playgrounds which is required for maintaining physical activities and it limits the outdoor activities especially for children and elders.It reduces the physical activities of children they spend most of their time on indoor activities which put bad impact on their mental development as well as well being.

Shifting towards the agreement , large construction of buidings need alot of time for construction.In other words it will create greater employment opportunities which requires alot for workers. To illustrate, developing several residential buildings can create employment for engineers,electricians,builders as well as provide business opportunities for local suppliers.

In conclusion, I partially disagree with this statement because construction of high-rise building apartments reduce the land playgrounds and parks which put bad impact on the mental well-being and discourage physical exertion. However, construction of multi-story apartment provide greater employment opportunities for workers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is stated as partial disagreement, and you give relevant points about maintenance costs, pressure on utilities, reduced green space, and employment. The examples of lift breakdowns and jobs for engineers and builders help make the discussion more concrete. However, the response only partly answers the central comparison of whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide enough homes. The paragraph labelled as agreement focuses on employment rather than explaining how high-rise housing increases the supply of homes, and the opening sentence says you disagree because it accommodates more people, which conflicts with your stated position. Develop both sides directly and explain why your preferred approach is more convincing; some current points, especially the effects on children, need clearer support and connection to the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an introduction, separate discussion paragraphs, and a conclusion, so the reader can identify its broad structure. Linking phrases such as “To commence with” and “In conclusion” also signal stages of the essay. However, progression is uneven: the paragraph introduced as “Shifting towards the agreement” discusses employment, not the housing benefits of tall blocks, and the opening sentence does not clearly match the position that follows. Several transitions feel formulaic, while long chains of ideas joined by “and” make relationships difficult to follow. The green-space paragraph also repeats the effect on children. Organise each body paragraph around one clear reason, use linking words to show the precise relationship between ideas, and ensure the conclusion reflects the argument developed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “high-rise residential buildings,” “maintenance,” “infrastructure,” and “employment opportunities,” which helps communicate the subject. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “To explicate” and “Consequently.” However, the range is limited by repeated general words and phrases, and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “put bad impact,” “requires alot for workers,” and “large construction of buidings” make parts of the argument less clear. Spelling errors such as “maintenence” and “buidings” are noticeable. Aim for accurate collocations and more precise wording rather than adding formal-sounding phrases; for example, explain that high-rise development can “increase housing capacity” or “place pressure on utilities.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional phrasing such as “if more land is used for residential purpose it leads to reductions…” and clauses explaining consequences. However, errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to process. Examples include “it accommodate more people,” “tall buildings requires,” and “such development create,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “for residential purpose” and “construction of high-rise building apartments.” Some sentences run together, particularly the discussion of children’s activities, and punctuation spacing is inconsistent. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, and divide long sentences when they contain several separate effects. This will make your ideas easier to follow while retaining complex structures.

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