Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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)

In developing era, apartments and flats plays a crucial role in industrial cities or area, especially for immigrants. Construction of tall buildings for flats has become the best method to provide enough space to live in big cities. Although it raises overcrowding and reduced quality of life, it is beneficial to save land and better infrastructure.

On the one hand, constructing tall apartments is an effective way to provide housing for large number of people while using a limited amount of land. Large cities often have a shortage of available land as of their growing populations. By building vertically rather than horizontally, governments can accommodate hundreds of families in relatively small area. For instance, a single high rise building can provide homes for several hundred residents without occupying as much land as a large number of individual houses. As a result, this approach can help cities meet increasing housing demand while preventing unnecessary urban expansion.

On the other hand, some believe that tall apartments are best way to assemble population in the city but it may cause overcrowding. This is because, very high population density can lead to noise, traffic and pressure on public facilities. For example, in cities such as London, simply building more high rise apartments does not necessarily solving housing problem, it can cause congestion and a shortage of greenery . Therefore, developing affordable housing in suburban areas alongside improving public transport can be a more sustainable solution.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that building tall apartments is the effective way to provide sufficient housing in large cities. It saves valuable land and allows more people to live in limited urban areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, maintaining a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments for both sides of the issue, such as land efficiency versus the potential for overcrowding and infrastructure strain. The ideas are generally well-developed, though the conclusion could be slightly more nuanced by acknowledging the counter-argument more effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are fully integrated into the argument rather than just stated. For instance, the mention of London is a good start, but explaining how specific policies could mitigate those issues would strengthen the development of your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the phrase 'as of their growing populations' is slightly awkward and disrupts the cohesion of the sentence. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence will help the progression of ideas feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban expansion', 'high population density', and 'sustainable solution'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'In developing era' (should be 'In the current era') and 'does not necessarily solving' (should be 'does not necessarily solve'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your word forms are consistent with the grammatical structure of your sentences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('apartments and flats plays') and missing articles ('in relatively small area'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely cause confusion for the reader. To improve, pay closer attention to basic subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of articles. Incorporating a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining accuracy, would help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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