Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the entertainment they want online. Others argue that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, high-rise buildings are becoming increasingly common in major cities rather than low-rise housing. There are several advantages to constructing tall apartment blocks in urban areas. I completely agree that vertical development is beneficial, particularly because it can accommodate growing populations and make better use of limited land.

There are several reasons why large cities are increasingly developing high-rise buildings. First, many major cities are becoming overcrowded because of rapid urban migration. As more people move from rural areas to cities in search of employment and better living standards, the demand for housing increases. Building vertically allows more people to live in a relatively small area. Second, land is often extremely expensive and limited in large cities, so constructing tall buildings is a more efficient way of using available space. The land saved through vertical development can be used for other facilities, such as public gardens, shopping centres, restaurants, schools and hospitals. For instance, modern cities such as Melbourne, Chicago and Shanghai have developed residential towers alongside commercial and recreational facilities.

However, high-rise living also has some disadvantages. Residents may have less private outdoor space than people living in houses or low-rise apartments. Parking can also become a serious problem when a large number of residents live in the same building. Nevertheless, cities generally offer greater employment opportunities, better public services and more convenient access to essential facilities than rural areas.

In conclusion, although living in high-rise apartment buildings can create problems such as limited personal space and parking difficulties, I believe that vertical development is one of the most effective solutions for modern mega cities. It allows governments to accommodate growing populations while preserving valuable land for essential public facilities and green spaces.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 1.0

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a discussion on the importance of theatres and cinemas in the digital age, but the essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of high-rise buildings. Because the response fails to address the task requirements entirely, it cannot be assessed for task achievement regarding the prompt. In an official IELTS examination, this would result in a score of 1.0 for Task Achievement as it does not address the topic provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Despite being off-topic, the essay itself is well-structured. It uses clear paragraphing, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a logical progression of ideas within the context of the (incorrect) topic, and cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Second', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The internal structure of the argument is coherent, even though the content does not match the prompt.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is appropriate for an academic essay. The student demonstrates a good range of topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning, such as 'vertical development', 'urban migration', 'residential towers', and 'limited land'. The word choice is precise and natural, showing a level of control that would be sufficient for a higher band if the content were relevant to the actual prompt.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, including conditional-like reasoning and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'As more people move from rural areas to cities...'). The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors in punctuation or syntax. The control over complex structures is consistent, and the writing is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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