Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-19

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)

Nowadays, rapid growth of urban population has created an excessive amount of shortage of housing in many large cities. Although constructing tall apartments can provide an effective solution to accommodate more people in limited urban areas, I believe that it should not be considered the only solution. I partially agree with this view as providing a house in an apartment with limited areas. The reasons for my stance will be described in the following paragraph.

To begin with, one major reason why I agree with this situation is that high-wise buildings make much more effective use of limited land available in large cities. As urban populations continue to go, there is usually insufficient space to construct individual houses for everyone. Building tall apartments instead of houses across large areas allows many families to live in small spaces. In addition, these buildings can be developed close to the workplace, school and public transport, which can reduce travel costs and traffic jams. For example, in crowded cities such as Mumbai, high-rise apartments allow a large number of people to live in areas where land is extremely expensive. Therefore, constructing tall residential areas can be an effective solution to overcome shortage of housing in big urban areas.

However, there are many reasons for building high-rise buildings that are not an effective solution in some cases. Firstly, constructing tall apartments can lead to overcrowding and create pressure on lift, parking areas and public transport. Furthermore, constructing and maintaining tall apartments can be more expensive for low income families who are struggling with financial conditions. In addition, the government should invest more on middle-rise building and providing affordable houses for families who are not affordable for expensive houses. For instance, constructing residential areas in countryside areas where lands are cheaper.

To conclude, although tall apartment blocks can provide homes for many people, they also provide other options for accommodation for families with affordable prices and sufficient facilities which are essential for daily life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of high-rise buildings. You clearly state your position in the introduction, although the phrasing 'I partially agree with this view as providing a house in an apartment with limited areas' is somewhat unclear. You provide relevant arguments for both sides, such as land efficiency and proximity to services versus overcrowding and costs. However, the development of ideas is occasionally repetitive, and the conclusion introduces a new point about 'other options' without having fully explored them in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point mentioned in the conclusion has been thoroughly supported by evidence in the main body.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', 'However', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the referencing in the introduction is a bit weak, making the thesis statement harder to follow. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the logical flow is maintained throughout the text, which meets the requirements for a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban population', 'high-rise buildings', and 'accommodation'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'high-wise' instead of 'high-rise' and 'not affordable for expensive houses' instead of 'cannot afford'. You also use 'excessive amount of shortage', which is a redundant collocation. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is sometimes lacking. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'As urban populations continue to go' (should be 'grow') and 'building high-rise buildings that are not an effective solution' (which is slightly awkward). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are occasional slips in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring higher accuracy would improve your performance.

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

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