Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 7.0)

Housing in Large Cities

Nowadays, many large cities are facing a serious shortage of housing because their populations are growing rapidly. Some people believe that the best solution is to construct tall apartment blocks. I largely agree with this opinion, although other types of housing are also necessary.

One major advantage of high-rise buildings is that they can provide accommodation for a large number of people in a limited area. This is particularly important in crowded cities where land is scarce and extremely expensive. By building upwards rather than outwards, governments can provide more homes without using large areas of land. Moreover, the remaining land can be used for parks, schools, hospitals and other public facilities. For example, cities such as Dubai and Singapore have developed many high-rise residential buildings to meet the needs of their growing populations.

However, relying only on tall apartment blocks can create certain problems. High-rise buildings can be costly to construct and maintain, and a large concentration of people may put pressure on transport systems and public services. In addition, some families may prefer houses with gardens because they offer greater privacy and space. Therefore, governments should develop different types of housing according to the needs of local communities.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that tall apartment blocks are one of the most effective ways to solve housing shortages in large cities. However, they should not be the only solution. If governments combine high-rise apartments with other forms of housing and proper urban planning, cities can provide affordable homes while maintaining a comfortable living environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have taken a clear position from the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the argument regarding land scarcity and the counter-argument concerning infrastructure and family needs. You provided relevant examples, such as Dubai and Singapore, which effectively support your points. The conclusion provides a balanced summary that reinforces your stance while acknowledging the complexity of the issue. The response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt, demonstrating a strong grasp of the requirements for an academic essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, starting with the benefits of high-rise living, moving to the drawbacks, and concluding with a synthesis. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'One major advantage', 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In addition', which help guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The flow between sentences is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text, making the essay very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic context. Phrases like 'land is scarce', 'concentration of people', and 'urban planning' show a solid command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is accurate and functional, it could be further elevated to reach a higher band by incorporating more sophisticated or less common collocations. The current range is sufficient to convey your meaning with precision, and there are no significant errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of conditional clauses ('If governments combine...') and contrastive structures ('By building upwards rather than outwards...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and grammar is consistent. There are no major grammatical slips that distract the reader. To aim for a higher band, you could experiment with more diverse sentence beginnings and perhaps more complex subordinate clauses, but your current control is already quite strong and reliable.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.