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 6.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You acknowledge the benefits of high-rise buildings while arguing that they should not be the sole solution. The ideas are relevant, such as land efficiency and infrastructure pressure, though some points could be developed further. For instance, the suggestion of 'countryside areas' is a bit vague and lacks a clear connection to the core issue of urban housing density. Overall, you have covered all parts of the task well, providing a balanced view that supports your partial agreement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'However' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. To reach a higher band, ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid and that referencing (e.g., 'this situation') consistently points back to a clear antecedent.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban population', 'accommodate', and 'infrastructure' (implied). However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'high-wise buildings' (should be 'high-rise') and 'not affordable for expensive houses' (should be 'cannot afford'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'excessive amount of shortage' (redundant/awkward) and 'building high-rise buildings that are not an effective solution' (slightly confusing phrasing). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor slips in article usage and subject-verb agreement. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors prevents a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical consistency.

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

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