Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

Constructing high-rise residential buildings is considered one of the most effictive ways to adress housing shortages in major cities.Although I agree that such developments can accommodate a large population efficiently, I believe that a broader houdsing strategy is necessary to adress urban housing shortages effectively.

One of the most reason is that constructing high rise apartment building is that they make efficient use of limited urban land.

This is because a single builiding can accommodate hundreds of families within a relatively small area.

Consequently, such developments can help reduce housing shortages in densely populated cities.For example, in major cities such karachi, high-rise residential complexes can provide accommodation for a large number of resident without requiring extensive land.

However,despite these advantages, constructing high- rise buildings alone cannot fully adress the housing crisis.

Excessive population density can lead

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You establish a relevant position: you agree that high-rise buildings can help, but argue that a broader strategy is needed. The point about using limited land efficiently is supported with an explanation and a Karachi example. However, the response addresses the question only minimally: the counterargument begins with “Excessive population density can lead” and is left unfinished, so the promised broader strategy is not explained. The discussion therefore does not develop reasons on both sides or show clearly what other measures you consider necessary. The response is also 114 words below the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop and support your position. Complete the counterargument and add specific, relevant solutions and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic organisational shape: an introduction states your position, followed by a paragraph explaining one benefit and the start of a contrasting point. Connectors such as “Although,” “Consequently,” and “However” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited because the response stops partway through the counterargument, and the main discussion consists largely of one reason. The sentence “One of the most reason is that constructing high rise apartment building is that…” is repetitive and makes the point difficult to follow. Develop each paragraph around one clear idea, remove repeated framing, and use a complete conclusion to bring the argument together. This would create a clearer overall progression rather than a sequence that ends abruptly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “housing shortages,” “high-rise residential buildings,” “densely populated,” and “accommodate,” which allows the reader to understand the central argument. There is also an attempt to express nuance through “broader housing strategy.” However, spelling errors are noticeable, including “effictive,” “adress,” “houdsing,” and “builiding,” and these reduce accuracy. Some phrasing is also awkward or imprecise, such as “one of the most reason” and “a large number of resident.” Aim to check spelling carefully and choose natural collocations—for example, “one of the main reasons” and “a large number of residents.” A wider range of precise terms for housing policies and urban impacts would help you explain the unfinished argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both a complex opening sentence (“Although I agree…”) and cause-and-effect structures (“This is because…” and “Consequently…”), showing some variety beyond simple sentences. The main meaning is generally understandable. However, grammatical control is uneven: “One of the most reason is that… is that…” has faulty construction and repetition, while “a large number of resident” lacks plural agreement. The final sentence fragment, “Excessive population density can lead,” is incomplete and leaves the reader waiting for the rest of the clause. There are also punctuation and spacing problems, such as missing spaces after full stops and commas. Practise building complete, well-formed sentences and proofreading agreement and punctuation, while retaining the complex structures you have attempted.

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