Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 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?

It is often said that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to solve housing shortage in big cities. Although this method has some clear benefit, I don't fully agree that its the best solution because it also have some drawback that should be think about.

There is a strong argument for tall apartment blocks. Since land in city center are very limited and expensive, building upwards allow much more homes to be build in a small area, compare to low-rise housing. This is especially important in cities where the population is growing faster than the housing that available. Also, when many people are living close together in high buildings, it can make things like public transport and other infrastructures easier and cheaper to provide, because the services don't need to cover such a big area.

However, living in high-density building also has some negative effect. People who live in tall apartment often say they don't feel much sense of community compare to people in traditional neighborhood, because there is less shared space like gardens where people can interact. This kind of housing is also not really suitable for families who have young children, because they need access to outdoor area to play rather than only having facilities far below their apartment. In addition, if these tall building are not planned careful, it can put too much pressure on the local infrastructure, such as school and transport, and cause overcrowding.

Therefore, while tall apartment blocks can help to solve the housing problem, I believe cities should also focus on other type of housing along with enough green space, instead of only relying on high-rise building as the only solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You acknowledge the benefits of tall apartment blocks while arguing that they are not the 'best' solution due to social and infrastructural concerns. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of land scarcity and the impact on community life. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully extended; for instance, you could provide a specific example of a city that has successfully balanced high-rise living with green spaces to strengthen your conclusion.

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 topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices like 'However', 'In addition', and 'Therefore' effectively to link your points. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases further and ensure that referencing is always precise. For example, in the second paragraph, 'the housing that available' is slightly awkward; a smoother transition would be 'the housing that is currently available'. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'high-density', 'infrastructure', and 'housing shortage'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'its the best solution' (it's) and 'planned careful' (carefully). While these do not impede communication, they limit the score. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items, such as 'urban sprawl', 'sustainable development', or 'communal living', to show greater precision and flexibility in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and pluralization, such as 'it also have some drawback' (it also has some drawbacks) and 'other type of housing' (other types of housing). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and spelling slips like 'its' instead of 'it's'. To improve, focus on proofreading for these small but frequent errors. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you move toward a higher band.

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

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