Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-28
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)
As technology advances more infrastusture is needed and therefore more demand for space. In order to build new housing there is no sufficient space in urban regions and hence some suggest to utilize space in the coutryside. However, some protests this idea and wish to protect it. In my opinion, coutryside should be not used to build new homes instead old buildings and old homes in cities should be demolished and skyscapers and high rise bulidings could be constructed inroder to make space for new homes.
First and foremost, countryside is pristine nature untouched by humankind. People live or visit here to connect to nature and breathe fresh air which is unlikely to be found in the city center. Furthermore, it is home to many wild animals and plants, therefore if new buildings are build it will cause major loss to wildlife, this in turn has effect on the local people as it may be means of survival for some.
In addtion, more infrastructure means more carbon emissions eventually leading to increase in global warming and affecting the global temperture and henceforth affecting many lives.
Alternatively we could build more multi-story buidlings instead of single housing in the city which can accomodate many homes in one single space.
In conclusion, I believe countryside should be reserved at its nature and as it is home to many and means of sustaining the economy and preventing further damage to the environement.
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 taking a clear position against building in the countryside. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the argument. While the main ideas—environmental protection and urban densification—are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. The points regarding wildlife and carbon emissions are valid but could have been expanded with more specific examples or logical links to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 response. The failure to meet the minimum word count is a significant constraint on the overall development of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used to signal the progression of ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences within paragraphs feel abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking to create a smoother, more cohesive argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several spelling errors, such as 'infrastusture', 'coutryside', 'skyscapers', 'bulidings', and 'environement'. While the meaning remains clear, these errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. The student relies on relatively simple vocabulary and misses opportunities to use more precise or academic collocations to enhance the sophistication of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'In order to build new housing there is no sufficient space...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('some protests this idea') and article usage ('at its nature'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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