Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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 efficient way to provide accommodation in large cities is to build tall buildings. This essay completely supports this view, as tall buildings can be both convenient and affordable for people to live in. In addition, building tall apartment blocks is an effective use of limited land.

Firstly, it can be observed that day by day the population of urban areas is soaring, as cities provide job opportunities. Although there are limited houses to accommodate this large number of people, to make a living the public migrates to urban places. So it is definitely logical to focus on encouraging land owners to build taller buildings, so that one particular building can accommodate more people. For instance, one floor of a building can accommodate a few people, whereas a skyscraper could house a larger number of families. Therefore, in order to use the limited land of large cities efficiently for residential use, building taller apartments can control the increasing population.

Finally, by building tall apartment blocks, land owners can save a handsome amount of money. Because they would not buy new land to accommodate renters, instead they can make use of the existing land. By doing this, in urban areas there will be plenty of places available to build more houses to accommodate renters effectively. For example, when individuals start to construct skyscrapers, the cost will be comparatively low, as buying a plot and infrastructure in a city is very expensive. Hence, building tall buildings not only saves money but also is a rational approach towards the use of limited wealth.

In conclusion, this essay firmly depicts that taller buildings have a greater potential to store a larger number of people. If the owner of the land can use the existing fortune logically, he can prevent an illogical approach of wasting wealth and use that money for greater profit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding land efficiency and cost-effectiveness are relevant and logically developed. However, the development is somewhat repetitive; the points about 'saving money' and 'limited land' are restated in both body paragraphs without significant expansion. To reach a higher band, you should aim to introduce more diverse supporting ideas, such as the social impact of high-rise living or the environmental implications of urban density. Despite this, the position is consistent and the main ideas are clearly presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Although', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of some cohesive markers is slightly mechanical, and the transition between ideas could be smoother. For instance, the link between 'saving money' and 'rational approach' in the second body paragraph is a bit forced. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. You demonstrate some ability to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'urban areas', 'infrastructure', and 'residential use'. However, there is a reliance on simpler phrasing, such as 'a handsome amount of money' and 'store a larger number of people', which sounds slightly unnatural in this context. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and academic register. Some word choices are repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'accommodate' and 'buildings'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical issues. For example, 'day by day the population... is soaring' is slightly awkward, and 'the public migrates' is a generalization that could be phrased more accurately. There are also minor errors in article usage and preposition choice. While you attempt complex structures, they are not always error-free. Increasing the variety of sentence types and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help elevate your score.

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

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