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)
People think, the best method to provide required number homes in populated cities is to build tall buildings with apartments. Yes, I completely, agree with this approach, tall buildings occupy less space and leave more earth space for agricultural purposes but these buildings have disadvantage in natural disasters and could create problems for people who has phobia of height.
First of all, high altitude buildings apartments are best building in dense populated cities as these buildings require less space on earth and accommodate large number of humans in vertical apartments. These multi-story apartments can be built up to 30 to 40 floors while occupying only 30 to 40 meters horizontally on earth. This extra space could be use for public parks and for agricultural purposes. For example, vertical buildings in Dubai have large number of residents and making residential apartments budget friendly for working class. So, vertical structures not only population friendly but also budget friendly.
However, these tall edifices have disadvantages in natural disasters like earthquake and wind storms. Vertical constructed dwelling can get damages from these natural disasters then horizontal housing colonies. Another disadvantage is that people with phobia of height could get difficulty to live in these apartments. For example, Some people have phobia of elevators which are very important to get access to specific floor.
In conclusion, vertically constructed structures have more advantages and suitable in large residential cities to provide large number of homes and enough space for other recreational activities for citizens. While constructing these housing building should make sure that these structures can bear certain limits of natural disasters.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas are relevant, such as space efficiency and agricultural benefits, though some points are slightly under-developed. For instance, the mention of phobias is a valid point but lacks a strong connection to the broader urban planning debate. The conclusion reinforces the main argument effectively. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced arguments, perhaps discussing the social impact of high-density living or the economic costs of construction, rather than focusing primarily on physical attributes like height and elevators.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'First of all', 'However', 'In conclusion'). Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the link between the disadvantage of natural disasters and the subsequent point about phobias is quite sudden. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'vertical structures', 'dense populated cities', and 'edifices'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'earth space' instead of 'land' or 'ground', and 'population friendly' which is not standard English. The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations and academic vocabulary would improve this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the best method', 'in natural disasters'), subject-verb agreement ('people who has phobia'), and pluralization ('large number of humans'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Vertical constructed dwelling can get damages'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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