Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-09
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)
With the continuous rising of the human's population, civilizations are constantly growing. With that being said, many people find themselves without homes. Being the logical option, building new housing facilties is a must.
Several cities can't afford new housing establishment, so new places are requested. Hence, people orientate towards countryside for the purpose of finding new vast regions.
In contrast, abusing the space could result in fewer agriculture sites, therefore, less production. To illustrate, Invading the countryside has more bad to it than benefits.
Some people , insist that protecting countryside lands and finding alternative housing solutions is imperative. In addition, setting boundries prevents people from building randomly leading to chaos.
I would argue that using the countryside for providing new homes is rather beneficiary. Although, it should be guided and mainly conducted by experts. In other words, people shouldn't act upon themselves, but rather ask for professional assistance and clear layouts.
Moreover, adding more buildings to a crowded place could lead to negative effects such as pollution, reduction of job opportunities and increasing crime rate.
Ultimately, leveraging the countryside with proper and clear layouts seems to be the most healthy option available at the current time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You give a clear overall opinion: countryside development can provide homes if it is planned by experts. You also recognise the opposing concern that building may reduce agricultural land, so the response is relevant to the question. However, the discussion is only partial and the position is not fully consistent: you first say countryside invasion has “more bad to it than benefits,” then argue that using it is “the most healthy option.” The reasons—effects on agriculture, crowded cities, pollution, jobs and crime—are listed but not explained or supported with a specific example. The response also falls 53 words short of the required minimum, limiting the space available to develop and justify your view. Clarify your position and extend each main reason with explanation or an example.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, moving from the housing problem to concerns about countryside development and then to your own view. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “In contrast,” “In addition” and “Moreover” show attempts to connect ideas. However, the overall progression is not always clear: the claim that countryside building has more disadvantages is followed by support for using it, without explaining how these points fit together. Some transitions, including “Hence” and “Ultimately,” connect sentences mechanically rather than showing the precise relationship between ideas. Develop a clearer sequence—state your position, explain the strongest reason, address the counterargument, and conclude—and use references that make each connection explicit.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “agriculture sites,” “alternative housing solutions,” “professional assistance” and “clear layouts.” This gives you some ability to discuss planning and land use, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and sometimes make the meaning less clear. For example, “housing establishment” is not a natural way to describe the construction of homes, while “beneficiary” does not mean beneficial in this context. There are also spelling errors in “facilties” and “boundries.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations rather than formal-sounding phrases, and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “housing developments,” “arable land” and “urban overcrowding” would help express your ideas clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use both short statements and longer structures, including the conditional idea “Although, it should be guided” and the clause beginning “With the continuous rising…”. This shows an attempt to vary sentence forms, and the main message is generally understandable. However, some sentence structures and punctuation are faulty. “Although, it should be guided and mainly conducted by experts” is a fragment because “although” introduces a dependent clause; connect it to the preceding sentence or use “However.” In “Some people, insist,” the comma incorrectly separates the subject from its verb. The opening phrase “With the continuous rising of the human’s population” is also grammatically awkward. Practise complete complex sentences, accurate clause connections and punctuation, then proofread for these recurring issues.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.