Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-07
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)
There is a considerable debate over whether people can build homes in the countryside, because there is no place available in the city, or rural areas should be protected and kept as a natural environment. Two distinct sides can be observed regarding this issue.
This essay will discuss both sides of the argument before presenting my own opinion, on why it is important to protect the country side from any renovation or new bulidings.
On the one hand, a large number of people believe that rural areas should be protected from any new buildings or houses, because it is a natural environment for many individuals and animals such as cows, sheeps. Therefore they tend to encourage people and government to protect it from any further constructions in the future.
On the other hand, others assume that the cities are crowded enough, and building new houses in the countryside is a must. Moreover, they encourage authorities to offer new homes and apartments in the rural areas, to avoid congestion and busy life style of the cities.
from my point of view, I believe that the countryside should be protected by every person and in every country, because it is a natural space for animals and people that choose the quite atmosphere over the busy life style of cities.
To sum up, although many people believe that countryside should be build with new homes, others assume it is a natural environment that should be protected by authorities to prevent any constructions in the future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 acknowledging both sides of the argument and stating a clear position. However, the development of ideas is quite limited. The arguments provided—such as the mention of animals like 'cows' and 'sheeps'—are simplistic and lack the depth required for a higher band. The essay relies on generalisations rather than providing specific, well-supported examples or reasoning. While the position is clear, the supporting points are under-developed, and the essay feels repetitive, particularly in the conclusion, which merely restates the prompt rather than synthesising the arguments presented. To improve, you should expand on the consequences of urban sprawl versus the benefits of environmental preservation with more sophisticated reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You have used basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up' to signal transitions between ideas. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the links between sentences are occasionally repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect sentences more naturally. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the content within those paragraphs needs to be more logically sequenced to ensure a smoother transition between the opposing viewpoints and your own opinion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. You rely on basic terms like 'new homes', 'busy life style', and 'natural environment'. There are also some errors in word form and usage, such as 'bulidings' (spelling), 'cows, sheeps' (pluralisation error: 'sheep' is the correct plural), and 'quite atmosphere' (likely meant 'quiet'). To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning, environmental conservation, and sustainability. Avoid repeating the same phrases and try to use more sophisticated collocations to express your ideas with greater clarity and impact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'countryside should be build' should be 'countryside should be built', and 'the quite atmosphere' should be 'the quiet atmosphere'. There are also issues with article usage and punctuation. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms in passive constructions, and consistent spelling. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also help elevate your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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