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)

The issue of insufficient homes in big cities has been a topic for debate these days. Many people believe that the most beneficial approach to this problem is to build more apartment blocks. But I firmly disagree with the statement because I believe that the core issue is not insufficient homes but rather low incomes and high cost of living.

The reason why constructing huge apartments won't solve the issue is because the problem is not insufficient housing but rather low wages for workers. Governments invest the most in huge cities and the number of houses does not seem to be the problem. There are more than enough houses in most major cities, but the issue is that they are unaffordable for the majority. In big crowded cities like New York, there has been huge investments made by the government to provide housing for everyone but homelessness remains a major concern. This proves that constructing tall buildings will not provide more houses if they are unaffordable for common people.

I believe that the best approach to provide residences in big cities is fair pay for people and reduced housing prices. Reducing prices of existing apartment and homes means that more people will be able to rent or buy them. Additionally, instead of investing large sums of money in constructing apartments, the government should use those to generate more jobs and provide fair pay to the workers. Despite people working in huge factories that earn profit in billions, workers are still underpaid relative to the wealth they generate and are exploited for their labour. People should be paid according to their needs and enough so they can easily afford a residence because housing is a human right. For example, homelessness remains a substantial issue in New York not because of unavailable housing but because of high inflation and unemployment. If housing becomes cheaper and people start getting paid fairly, then housing could be provided to almost everyone.

Conclusively, in my perspective the best way to provide housing for people is to lower the cost of living and create more jobs. Governments do not need to build more apartments because insufficient homes is not the issue, but unaffordability is.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have clearly addressed the prompt by taking a firm stance against the idea that tall apartment blocks are the best solution. You provide a consistent argument throughout, focusing on affordability and economic factors rather than physical housing supply. The ideas are well-developed, particularly your point regarding the distinction between housing availability and housing affordability. To reach a higher band, ensure you acknowledge the opposing view more explicitly—perhaps by briefly conceding why some might argue for tall buildings—before refuting it. This would provide a more balanced and comprehensive exploration of the 'to what extent' aspect of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Additionally' and 'Conclusively'. However, the transition between ideas could be smoother; some sentences feel slightly disconnected. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., using 'this' or 'these' to refer back to previous concepts) is more precise to avoid ambiguity. Overall, the structure is clear and supports your argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'insufficient homes', 'unaffordable', and 'exploited for their labour' are used appropriately. There are some instances of slightly repetitive phrasing, such as the frequent use of 'huge' and 'big'. To elevate your score, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations. For example, instead of 'huge cities', you could use 'metropolitan areas' or 'densely populated urban centres'. Your word choice is generally accurate and does not impede communication, showing a good level of control for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. There are minor errors, such as 'huge investments made by the government' (which should be 'huge investments have been made') and 'reducing prices of existing apartment' (should be plural 'apartments'). These errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. To achieve a higher band, focus on increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more conditional sentences or passive voice constructions to add nuance to your arguments.

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