Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 convinient way to offer adequate homes in enormous cities is the construction of tall apartment blocks.In my opinion,building tall apartment blocks can be convinient because they are cheap and are good for small families but it also have its risks such as the increase in natural disasters nowadays and many people prefer substantial houses instead of negligible apartment.

The primary reason to agree with the given statment is because the apartments are cheaper than a full fledged house.Many people cannot afford such big houses so they prefer to live in a small apartment and it is pretty much convinient.For instance,the middle class society which cannot afford such fancy houses.Moreover,the apartment blocks are good for people with a small family.Like they do not require substantial fancy homes,they prefer having a small apartment to live a happy life with their small family.By contrast, a newlywed couple does not need a big house to live they can live happily in an apartment and they can also easily afford it.

However,building tall apartment blocks does not come without any risks.One of the major risk is the increase in natural disasters (earthquakes).If an apartment building is not sterdy enough it can collapse during an earthquake.For Example,If an apartment building collapses during an earthquake in can cause many casualties than a normal house.Furthermore,some high class society individuals do not want to live in an apartment.It means they just cannot imagine in living a cheap aprtment they prefer some big mansions so even they do not have a big family they just cannot withstand to live in an apartment.For instance,the rich families of the world.

To conclude,I contend that even if constructing tall apartment blocks is more preferable and more covinient because of majority of middle class society there should not be a significant decrease into building large homes in larger cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is broadly clear: you support apartment construction because it is cheaper and suits smaller households, while acknowledging earthquake risks and some people’s preference for larger homes. These points are relevant to the question, and the conclusion restates your qualified support. However, the response only partly develops the central issue of whether tall blocks are the best way to provide enough homes. The affordability and family-size points are asserted rather than supported with specific explanation, and the earthquake example is hypothetical. The preference of wealthy people for mansions is less directly connected to meeting housing demand. To strengthen the response, explain how high-rise construction increases the number of homes on limited urban land, then weigh this benefit against safety and other practical alternatives.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting advantages and risks, and a conclusion. The contrast between “The primary reason to agree” and “However” helps signal the main stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the first body paragraph repeats that apartments are affordable and suitable for small families, while examples do not always add a distinct point. Some linking is mechanical, and the final sentence is difficult to follow, particularly “there should not be a significant decrease into building large homes.” Improve cohesion by giving each paragraph a clear controlling idea, developing it with explanation and a relevant example, and using clearer references and transitions to show how each point supports your overall position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “apartment blocks,” “natural disasters,” “earthquake,” “casualties,” and “middle class.” There is also an attempt to vary expression with phrases such as “full fledged house” and “substantial homes.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “negligible apartment,” “fancy houses,” and “cannot withstand to live in an apartment.” Spelling errors, including “convinient,” “statment,” “sterdy,” and “aprtment,” are noticeable and reduce the overall control of vocabulary. Aim for precise, natural phrases and check spelling carefully; for example, describe housing as “affordable” or “spacious” rather than relying on vague terms such as “fancy.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “If an apartment building is not … enough it can collapse” and a contrast introduced by “even if.” However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “it also have its risks,” missing or misplaced articles in “the apartments are cheaper than a full fledged house,” and the faulty construction “they just cannot imagine in living.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, with several sentences running directly into the next without spaces or clear separation. Practise accurate clause construction, agreement, and punctuation, then proofread each sentence to ensure its subject and main verb are clear.

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