Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there.
What is your opinion about this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The population is increasing rapidly so it requires more housing for people to stay, but the space available only in the countryside. It is considerd by few individuals that instead making new house it is important to protect nature. I partly agree with this because i beleive that housing is necessary, but development should be carefully controlled.
To begin with, to protect nature it is important to protect the countryside. To elaborate it, nature provide fresh air and fresh water and it is home of wild life and plants as well as farmers need land to grow food, if more houses constructed on countryside then it will be harmful for soil and birds' habitats. for example a survey collected in America state that 285 soil damaged due to construction of houses in the outside of country.
However, as population is increasing so demand of housing increasing along with this. To illustrate it, If new houses are constructed then it will help to reduced overcrowding and government need to build those houses that are eco friendly and leave green area untouched for crops production and wildlife. for example, in canada 30% area of the countryside is reserved for wildlife and crops and no one is allowed to construct houses there.
To conclude, the countryside should be protected for wildlife and agriculture is valuable, but some carefully planned planned eco friendly housing help people to get housing needs easily.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by presenting a clear position, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the essay covers both sides of the argument—the importance of protecting the countryside and the necessity of housing—the arguments are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, the example regarding '285 soil damaged' is unclear and lacks sufficient context to support the point effectively. To improve, you should expand on your reasoning with more detailed explanations and ensure you meet the minimum length requirement to allow for a more comprehensive exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'To conclude' are used to signal the progression of ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions. For example, 'To elaborate it' is not a standard cohesive phrase. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the limited length prevents a more sophisticated use of referencing and substitution, which would be necessary for a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'increasing', 'important', and 'harmful'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as '285 soil damaged' and 'outside of country', which impede clarity. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary, such as 'urban sprawl', 'sustainable development', or 'environmental degradation', and ensure that collocations are used correctly to convey your ideas more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'It is considerd by few individuals', 'nature provide fresh air', and 'government need to build'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and basic sentence construction will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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