Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

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 6.0)

The rapid growth of urban populations has created a serious demand for housing in large cities. Some people argue that the best solution is to construct tall apartment blocks. I largely agree with this view because high-rise buildings can accommodate more people while using limited urban land efficiently.

The main advantage of building tall apartments is that they make better use of land. Large cities often have limited space, and constructing houses with gardens requires considerable areas of land. In contrast, a single high-rise building can provide homes for hundreds of families on a relatively small piece of land. This can also help prevent cities from expanding too far into surrounding rural areas. For example, cities such as Tokyo and Singapore have successfully used high-density housing to accommodate large populations.

However, I do not believe that apartment blocks alone are sufficient. If too many high-rise buildings are constructed without proper planning, they can create overcrowding, traffic congestion and pressure on public services. Residents may also have less access to private outdoor spaces. Therefore, governments should combine apartment blocks with parks, schools, hospitals and efficient public transport. In some less densely populated areas, low-rise housing may also be a more suitable option.

In conclusion, I agree that tall apartment blocks are one of the most effective ways to provide sufficient housing in large cities. Nevertheless, they should be part of a broader urban-planning strategy rather than the only solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The ideas are relevant, and the use of examples like Tokyo and Singapore provides good support for the argument. However, the response is 238 words long, which falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length negatively impacts the development of ideas, as the discussion could have been more thoroughly explored to reach the required length. While the position is clear, the brevity prevents the response from reaching a higher band, as some points feel slightly compressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

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. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'For example', and 'However' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent. To improve, the writer could use a wider variety of cohesive devices to ensure the flow between sentences feels even more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate and appropriate for the task. The student employs topic-specific terms such as 'urban populations', 'high-density housing', and 'urban-planning strategy' correctly. The language is generally precise, and there are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede meaning. While the range is sufficient, it is not particularly wide or sophisticated. To achieve a higher band, the student should aim to incorporate more nuanced vocabulary or less common collocations to demonstrate greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. Examples like 'If too many high-rise buildings are constructed without proper planning, they can create...' show a good grasp of complex conditional structures. There are no major errors that cause confusion for the reader. The writing is clear and controlled, though the range of structures could be further expanded to include more varied subordinate clauses or inversion to reach the highest bands.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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