Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-13

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)

The question about building new homes in the countryside to fulfill housing demands has generated considerable discussion. In my opinion, although providing sufficient housing is essential, protecting the countryside should be prioritised, and alternative locations should be considered wherever possible.

One of the primary reasons why protecting rural areas is that to presere farmland and green spaces. This is mainly because new developments will replace green zone with concrete buildings. It will negatively impact the agricultural land from cultivating food. This is evident in Canada, where rural areas near the Toronto city has been affected with housing construction. The areas like Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby were greenzones, whereass today there is hardly any green spaces remaining in order to fulfil home demands. This demonstrates the crucial need to protect the countryside.

Another significant consideration is to protect biodiversity and the natural enviroment. The main reason for this is contruction destroys the natural habitats of wildlife. The animals will lose there nesting and feeding areas when forest are cleared. This can reduce biodiversity and disrupt ecosystems. There have been several cases of spotting deers in the city, this is an rTherefore, rural land should be proctected whenever possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear in the introduction: you believe the countryside should be protected and other locations used where possible. You give two relevant reasons—preserving farmland and green space, and protecting wildlife—and the examples around Toronto help make the first point more concrete. However, the response addresses the task only partially because it is 54 words below the required minimum, and the ideas remain under-developed. The second reason ends with an incomplete, corrupted sentence (“this is an rTherefore”), while the first would benefit from explaining more fully how loss of farmland affects food supply or why alternatives are practical. Develop each reason with a clear explanation and a complete example, and briefly acknowledge the need for housing before explaining how it can be met.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, followed by separate paragraphs on farmland and biodiversity. Signposting such as “One of the primary reasons” and “Another significant consideration” helps readers follow the main points. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes disrupted. The sentence beginning “There have been several cases…” is followed by the garbled phrase “this is an rTherefore,” which interrupts the argument and makes the connection unclear. Some links are also mechanical, with repeated “This is…” and “The main reason…” constructions. Use a clearer sequence of claim, explanation, and example, and ensure each paragraph ends with a complete sentence that links back to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-appropriate vocabulary, including “housing demands,” “agricultural land,” “biodiversity,” “natural habitats,” and “ecosystems.” These choices show an attempt to discuss the issue beyond basic terms. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the message less clear: “presere,” “greenzones,” “enviroment,” and “proctected” are misspelled, while “green zone” and “green spaces” are used inconsistently. Phrases such as “from cultivating food” and “fulfil home demands” are also unnatural in context. Aim for accurate collocations and proofread spelling; for example, describe land as being “used for agriculture” and housing as “meeting demand for homes.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concession in the opening sentence (“although providing sufficient housing is essential”) and a conditional phrase (“wherever possible”). Some sentences are clear and controlled, such as “This can reduce biodiversity and disrupt ecosystems.” However, grammatical errors occur in several places. The opening of the first body paragraph is incomplete (“One of the primary reasons why protecting rural areas is that…”), and “rural areas near the Toronto city has been affected” has problems with article use and subject–verb agreement. There are also errors in “The animals will lose there nesting…” and “when forest are cleared.” The final sentence is incomplete or corrupted. Build complete clauses and check agreement, articles, and plural forms before submitting.

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