Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-30

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Some people believe that the best way to address the growing concern about housing in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. Although this is a good way to address the housing problems experienced by residents in the cities, I believe that this is not the optimal solution to the problem. I think that government should focus on improving public transport and encourage companies to consider building their business in the countryside rather than the urban area.

Nowadays, most of the job opportunities for professionals are in the large cities. The primary reason is that business owners opt to build their companies in developed cities considering the availability of resources like manpower, advancement of technology, and good public transport. As a result, these cities become more congested as people from rural areas are relocating to secure better employment. I believe one way to address this is for government to encourage companies to put up their businesses in less crowded cities. For example, they can provide incentives like reduction in taxes for businesses who will opt to develop a rural area for it to become a business district. In this way, professionals will no longer have to relocate to earn income. People in the cities will be less resulting to fewer residents requiring housing in the main cities.

Another action that can be taken by the government is to improve the public transport from provinces to the cities. One of the reason why people choose to relocate is the long hours spent in traveling from their homes outside the city to their workplace. People would prefer spending that time doing other things like hobbies, household chores, and family time rather than spend it in commuting. Therefore, if public transport is fast and reliable, there will be no need for people to relocate near their workplace. They can stay in their current homes and use trains or buses to commute to work.

In conclusion, although building tall apartment blocks will house more people, I believe that improving public transport and encouraging businesses to develop rural areas will address the housing problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly by taking a firm position against the idea that tall apartment blocks are the best solution. You provide two distinct alternative strategies: decentralizing business districts and improving public transport. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, particularly the suggestion of tax incentives for rural business development. However, the essay could be improved by briefly acknowledging the counter-argument (the benefits of high-density living) more explicitly to demonstrate a more balanced perspective, which is often expected for higher band scores. Overall, the position is consistent and the arguments are well-supported with logical reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is logical. You use cohesive devices such as 'Nowadays', 'As a result', 'For example', and 'Therefore' to link your thoughts effectively. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing is clear throughout the text, ensuring that the reader can easily follow your line of reasoning from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'congested', 'relocating', 'incentives', and 'optimal solution'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'less resulting to fewer residents' which is slightly awkward and unclear. Additionally, some phrasing is a bit repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items related to urban planning. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without any significant impediment to the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('if public transport is fast and reliable, there will be no need...') and relative clauses. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'One of the reason' (should be 'reasons') and 'business who will opt' (should be 'businesses that/which will opt'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient to maintain interest. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and pluralization will help improve your accuracy further.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.