Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-21

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)

It is often argued that the strategic way to provide accommodation in large cities is by constructing tall apartment blocks. I strongly agree with this viewpoint because it is more convenient and less space-consuming.

First and foremost, building apartment complexes in big cities has multiple benefits such as saving space, creating communities and adding budget-friendly options for people from different socio-economic backgrounds. For instance, older generations living alone or even families with growing children would feel a sense of belonging to have a community to communicate and interact with. Additionally, flats with amenities such as a pool, outdoor parks and a gymnasium enhance collectivistic living among individuals with fast-paced lives.

Furthermore, constructing taller buildings over larger individual houses in metro cities could save up space for agriculture and production of fruits and vegetables. In addition, this can also increase generation of oxygen and protect air-polluted areas from worsening and also contribute to reduction of growing high rent prices for villas. For example, multiple research studies have shown that cities like Bangalore and Mumbai are facing a massive surge in rent and purchase of properties due to lack of space for construction of homes.

In conclusion, for the reasons outlined above, the ability to save more space and create a comfortable community for people, along with better rent prices, could also help reduce multiple concerns related to financial issues. Therefore, I firmly believe that it's better to build tall apartment blocks over individual villas, as this has multiple benefits to people as well as the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding space efficiency and community building are relevant and logically developed. However, the essay could be improved by providing more specific evidence or deeper analysis in the second body paragraph. For instance, the claim that tall buildings allow for more agriculture is a strong point, but it is not fully explored in relation to urban planning realities. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, ensuring the task requirements are met with a clear, well-supported argument.

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 'First and foremost', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between sentences is generally clear, although some transitions could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses some good collocations like 'fast-paced lives' and 'socio-economic backgrounds'. However, there are some instances of slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'increase generation of oxygen' and 'protect air-polluted areas from worsening'. While these do not impede communication, they show a lack of precision. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more academic or topic-specific terminology would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound. There are minor issues, such as 'constructing taller buildings over larger individual houses' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'reduction of growing high rent prices'. Punctuation is generally accurate. To achieve a higher score, the student should aim for more varied complex structures and ensure that all prepositional phrases and collocations are used with complete accuracy.

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

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