Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-24

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)

Apartment buildings with a large number of floors are regarded by many as the best solution to supply sufficient accomodation in urban areas. I think this statement captures the current situation perfectly, because tall building blocks are using their area efficiently and these skyscrapers house further accomodation opportunities.

High-rise buildings are an efficient way to provide homes. If a major city were to construct only skyscrapers to serve the housing needs of its citizens, then numerous inhabitants would be able to live in a small space. Thus, the city would have more area to construct further housing. Because the apartments are build rather compact, the rental cost can be decreased too. For example, 52% of the Singaporean houses in 2025 are build place-efficiently, with rental prices decreasing by 13% and housing demand being saturated.

On the other hand, these apartment buildings contain special accomodation, which would not be possible for regular housing opportunities. Many inhabitants of cities value the availability of extravagant activities. It is possible to build certain sites, such as gyms, supermarkets, and office rooms directly inside skyscraper houses. Therefore, inhabitants would not have to commute through the entire city, but can directly travel by elevator inside their homes to fulfill their needs. In the biggest aparment blocks, namely in Shenzhen, this concept is already a reality and highly popular for visitors and citizens alike.

In conclusion, I think the best way to combat the undersupply of accomodation in large urban areas, is to build apartment buildings with many floors. Especially the efficient use of space and the opportunity to contain diverse necessities for city life are major benefits of these buildings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments regarding space efficiency and the integration of amenities. The ideas are extended with examples, such as the reference to Singapore and Shenzhen, which helps support your position. However, the development of these ideas could be more nuanced; for instance, you mention rental costs decreasing, but the link between high-rise construction and specific economic outcomes is slightly over-generalized. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are fully integrated into the argument rather than just stated. Overall, the task is addressed well, and your stance is clear from the introduction to the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Therefore', and 'For example' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'these apartment buildings' is used repeatedly. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the flow and cohesion of the text, moving it toward a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban areas', 'inhabitants', 'commute', and 'undersupply'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'accomodation' (spelled incorrectly as 'accommodation') and 'build' used instead of 'built' in the context of passive voice. While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'housing demand being saturated'. To improve, focus on mastering the spelling of common academic terms and refining your use of collocations to ensure they sound more natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and passive voice construction, such as 'apartments are build rather compact' (should be 'built' and 'compactly') and '52% of the Singaporean houses... are build' (should be 'were built'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex structures and proofreading for basic verb tense consistency would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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