Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 arguement being presented is that the solution to meet the high demand of housing in the cities is to build tall apartment blocks.In this assignment we are going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages and weight on the discussion points raised for each side.

There is high demand for housing in the big cities as a lot of young people migrate from regional towns for better opportunities as a result the demand for infrastructure is not meeting the supply, subsequently the metropolitan is expanding further into the natural habitats of animal and calls for building tall apartment blocks has been raised. There was research that was done on how nature plays a role in helping a sick person recover, the ability to have a backyard and live the Australian dream plays a major role in people's emotional and mental health. Instead of pushing for the construction of appartment blocks the government should inverst in developing smaller towns so that people in regional towns will also have the same opportunities as those in big cities, this will help cut the regional to urban migration in the long run and subsequently reduce the demand for housing in big cities.

Although building tall apartments could solve the crisis, I believe providing houses that meet the cultural lifestyle of people is better than offering a solution that will wipe away a person's identity. The solution needs to look at the causes of the high demand in large cities and try to offer alternatives

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the issue and give a relevant alternative: investing in smaller towns could reduce migration to major cities. You also explain why access to a backyard and connection to a familiar lifestyle matter. However, the response does not clearly state how far you agree or disagree with building tall apartment blocks, and the opening promises a discussion of both advantages and disadvantages that is not fully delivered. The case against high-rise housing is more developed than the case for it; the brief concession that apartments “could solve the crisis” is not supported with reasons or examples. To strengthen the response, state your position directly and develop both the housing benefits and the drawbacks with specific supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces the housing issue, explains pressures on cities, presents an alternative, and ends by restating the need to address the causes. Linking phrases such as “as a result,” “subsequently,” and “Although” help show relationships between ideas. However, most of the argument is placed in one very long paragraph, so the stages of your reasoning are difficult to distinguish. Some links are also mechanical or unclear, particularly the chain from migration to infrastructure shortages, urban expansion, and animal habitats. Use separate paragraphs for your position, supporting reasons, and conclusion, and make each connection explicit. This would create clearer progression and reduce the sense of ideas being joined together in a single stream.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “high demand,” “infrastructure,” “natural habitats,” “regional to urban migration,” and “emotional and mental health.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “meet the cultural lifestyle” show an attempt to express more specific ideas. Some wording is imprecise or unnatural, however: “the metropolitan is expanding” and “the ability to have a backyard” do not express your meaning as naturally as alternatives such as “urban areas are expanding” and “having access to a backyard.” There are also spelling errors, including “arguement,” “appartment,” and “inverst.” Check spelling carefully and focus on accurate collocations to make your vocabulary more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “as,” “although,” and “so that,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. Some sentences are controlled, such as “The solution needs to look at the causes of the high demand in large cities and try to offer alternatives.” However, several long sentences contain multiple clauses without adequate punctuation, making relationships between ideas harder to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “There is high demand for housing” needs clearer clause boundaries, and “a sick person recover” requires a different verb form after “plays a role in helping.” There are also agreement and article problems, as in “the metropolitan is expanding” and “a person's identity” in a general statement. Break up long sentences and proofread clause structure, agreement, and articles.

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