Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Finding a good place to live in large cities like Toronto, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tokyo, NYC etc. seems to be an impossible task today. Several people think that the best way to provide enough homes in these large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. I do agree on constructing vertically big living facilities. They have many advantages such as reducing land consumption, increasing housing capacity, and would potentially make the lives of people living in them a manifold easier.

Firstly, building tall apartment buildings would mean requiring a small amount of land to construct the block on. Usually what happens in a single unit housing neighbourhood is that, each house requires several square feet to hold just one family or three at maximum if the house can hold more people in the basement. Apartment buildings would require the same amount of space as 4 single unit houses and would be able to hold loads of people in it.

Furthermore, a neighbourhood with apartment buildings would make their lives easier. Their development would encourage the transit hubs to make stations near or around the neighbourhood, which encourages the people living in these buildings to use transit more often. This aligns perfectly with the goals of many modern cities nowadays to reduce greenhouse gases.

Although, this perspective might seem a little far fetched to some, this idea is the most appealing to me. Having lived in both an apartment building and a single unit house, I feel that life in an apartment building has proved to be more comfortable to me and significantly efficient than the later. Personally, an apartment building has served as a small community and neighbourhood in itself.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have identified key arguments, such as land efficiency and the promotion of public transit, which are relevant to the topic. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'reducing greenhouse gases' is mentioned but not fully explained in the context of high-density living. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of the socio-economic impacts of tall apartment blocks. The conclusion is personal but could be more reflective of the broader societal arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Although' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the use of 'the later' (should be 'the latter') in the final paragraph. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. To improve, focus on creating smoother transitions between sentences to ensure the flow of ideas is more natural and less reliant on simple signposting words.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'land consumption', 'housing capacity', and 'transit hubs'. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'vertically big living facilities' and 'manifold easier', which sound unnatural. Additionally, there is a minor error in 'the later' instead of 'the latter'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Incorporating more academic collocations and precise terminology would enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'Several people think' (better: 'Many people argue') and 'make the lives of people living in them a manifold easier' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor issues with comma usage. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the lack of variety in complex structures and the presence of occasional errors prevent a higher score. Focus on refining your sentence construction to improve accuracy and flow.

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

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