Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-24
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)
New houses are required in several areas and there is space exist just in rural side . Few individual consider that it will harm the village environment to building homes . In my opinion, I am not agree with this statement because it will prevent to get homeless .
On the one hand , by not using the countryside land for houses , it would create a large number of homeless people . To explain, nowadays, population is increasing day by day and most of people try to locate in the urban areas because of opportunities. So , it leads housing shortage crisis like in India people are suffering because of this problem . Therefore , we should start building the new apartments in countryside .
On the other hand , in today's era , we can barely enjoy our surroundings as there is so many large buildings and factories in urban cities which will create a disturbance in our mind . However , we can't do with the same thing in our country side areas because these places have less accommodation in comparison of rural city . Also , they have more greenery and less vehicle which makes the area more peaceful and relaxing . Thus , it should not be appropriate to destroy the nature .
To conclude , although some argue that new places should not be built to the remote areas but i still feel that it will help to reduce the number of homeless .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against protecting the countryside at the expense of housing. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the housing crisis in India as an example, the argument remains quite general. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the consequences of not building in rural areas or provide more nuanced solutions, such as sustainable development or infrastructure planning. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments lack depth and detailed explanation, which keeps the response at a mid-level band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between the need for housing and the environmental concerns could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'they' when referring to rural areas. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on common phrases like 'day by day' and 'in today's era', which are somewhat informal or clichéd. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'prevent to get homeless' (should be 'prevent homelessness') and 'rural city' (which is a contradiction). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning, environmental conservation, and socio-economic issues, and focus on using words in their correct grammatical context.
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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('there is space exist'), article usage ('in the countryside' vs 'in countryside'), and incorrect verb forms ('it will prevent to get homeless'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect preposition usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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