Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-11

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)

Housing demand has been increased in recent years, however there is no enough space to build accommodation in the city centre. As a solution many individual suggest to develop houses in the outskirts while others believe to protect the countryside. I strongly agree to save the country lands because it helps preserve natural life and resources like tress, air and animal. Also, improve the mental health.

One of the main reason to preserve natural land is to secure natural resources. People have demolish the forest in order to build the living spaces which endangered wildlife and have direct effect on air quality. To simplify, less trees means less oxygen and poor health life. Furthermore, many wild animals will lost there houses which eventually be the reason for many extinct spices. Hence, it is necessary to preserve the green land.

Secondly, it is the best get way for many people from the city living. For example, nature provide calmness and stability from day to day hustle. Many families prefer to visit countryside to relax and rejuvenate. Therefor, it is important to save a natural space and protect the environment.

In my opinion, we can construct more buildings in city rather than develop houses in countryside which will protect the nature and provide the accommodation to public.

In conclusion, it is important to protect the countryside by not building any new houses which ultimately have a positive impact on natural resources and preserve the green land and use alternative option to reduced the demand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified two main reasons for protecting the countryside: environmental preservation and the psychological benefits of nature. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'mental health' is mentioned in the introduction but lacks sufficient elaboration in the body paragraphs. While the task is addressed, the supporting points could be more thoroughly explained with specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance, but the overall depth of the argument remains at a functional level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions are slightly awkward, such as 'To simplify' or 'it is the best get way'. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, for example, 'which eventually be the reason for many extinct spices' lacks a clear antecedent. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the use of cohesive devices is not always flexible or natural, which limits the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'tress' (trees), 'extinct spices' (species), and 'get way' (getaway). You rely on relatively simple vocabulary to express your ideas. To improve, you should aim to use more sophisticated collocations and precise terminology related to urban planning and environmental conservation. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequent errors in word formation and spelling prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'Housing demand has been increased' (should be 'has increased'), 'many individual suggest' (should be 'individuals suggest'), and 'many wild animals will lost there houses' (should be 'will lose their homes'). These errors, particularly with verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and word forms, are noticeable. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy will significantly improve your score.

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

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