Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-13

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 crisis is rapidly increasing issue in todays world. main reason for this issue is no space left to construct new buildings in cities and increasing population. Some people believe that country side should be used for building new houses while on other hand some people are against this

To start with, Rural areas are home to many wild animals, Source of fresh air and used by farmers to grow fruits and vegetables. If such lands are used to build buildings to meet housing crisis it can led to major loss to bio diversity. Moreover rural areas will be polluted which will make major problems for wild animals. However if new buildings are not constructed, THERE WOULD BE INCREASE IN NUMBER OF HOMELESS. To add, Prices of lands are hiked because of shortage of housings which make it difficult for people to invest their money in land.

To Conclude, I believe proper plan should be made by government so that bio diversity is also not affected and the housing crisis can be solved as well. Lands that are not left with productivity should be used to construct buildings. Cutting certain forest lands should be banned and heavy fines should be imposed. Multi story buildings should be made to effectively use the land.Government can make some policies to regulate building of new factories and those lands can be used for residential building Both government and general public can solve this issue as bio diversity is equally important as building new houses

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the tension between housing needs and environmental protection. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you present a position in the conclusion, the body paragraphs lack depth and specific examples. For instance, you mention the 'housing crisis' and 'bio diversity' but do not elaborate on how these issues manifest in a specific context. To reach a higher band, ensure each main idea is supported by a clear explanation or a concrete example. The conclusion introduces several new suggestions (e.g., multi-story buildings, factory regulation) that were not explored in the body, which makes the argument feel slightly disjointed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into an introduction, body, and conclusion, which provides a basic structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or missing. Transitions like 'To start with' and 'Moreover' are used, but the flow between sentences is sometimes abrupt. For example, the transition from the environmental impact to the housing crisis is sudden. Additionally, paragraphing is inconsistent; the second paragraph is quite dense and covers multiple distinct points that could have been separated for better clarity. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single central theme would enhance the logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'major problems', 'good', and 'new buildings'. There are also some issues with word formation and collocation, such as 'no space left to construct' and 'lands that are not left with productivity'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and environmental science, such as 'urban sprawl', 'sustainable development', or 'ecological preservation'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary remains limited to common, everyday language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include missing articles ('in todays world', 'in cities'), subject-verb agreement errors ('Prices of lands are hiked'), and punctuation inconsistencies. The use of capitalization for emphasis ('THERE WOULD BE INCREASE...') is inappropriate for formal writing. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors in clause structure. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, such as correct article usage and consistent verb tenses, will help improve your score significantly.

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

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