Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In many big cities around the world, finding a place to live is becoming a huge problem due to overprice, lack of free space and various other reasons. I completely agree that building tall apartment blocks is the best solution to provide enough housing for people living in urban areas.

Firstly, most major cities are already overcrowded and messy. If we keep building traditional single-story houses, it will take up a lot of land that could be used for parks or roads. Moreover, horizontal housing makes land very expensive, so normal people cannot afford to buy homes. High-rise apartments allow hundreds of families to live on a small piece of land, which makes housing much more affordable for everyone.

Secondly, constructing tall buildings helps to separate the city from the countryside. If cities expand outwards continuously, they will destroy natural greenery, farms, and forests around the urban area. By building upwards instead of outwards, we can protect rural areas and keep a clear difference between modern city life and nature. This also makes public transport easier because people live closer together rather than spread out far away.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that building tall apartment blocks is the most practical way to handle housing shortages in big cities. It saves land, keeps property prices reasonable, and prevents cities from destroying surrounding green spaces.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses the prompt clearly, maintaining a consistent position throughout. However, the response is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the arguments regarding land efficiency and environmental protection are relevant, they lack depth and specific examples. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed illustrations or data. For instance, you could mention a specific city that has successfully implemented high-rise housing to support your argument. Because the response is significantly under-length, the development of ideas is limited, preventing a higher score in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' effectively to link your points. However, the range of cohesive devices is somewhat limited, and the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and referencing techniques to create a smoother flow between your arguments, rather than relying on simple sequence markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban areas', 'horizontal housing', and 'practical way'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision or 'less common' items required for higher bands. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'overprice' (which should be 'high prices' or 'exorbitant costs') and 'normal people' (which is slightly informal). To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have good control over basic grammar, and your meaning is always clear. There are very few grammatical errors, which is a strength. However, the range of complex structures is limited; you rely heavily on 'If' clauses and simple compound sentences. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a greater variety of complex grammatical forms, such as passive voice, relative clauses, or inversion, to demonstrate more flexibility. Overall, your writing is accurate, but it needs more structural variety to reach the next level.

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