Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27

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)

The most appropriate way to provide enough houses in urban areas is to build skyscrapers. I completely agree with this statement because it saves land and accommodates a large number of people.

To begin with, one of the reasons why house owners choose to build tall buildings in order to provide enough accommodation for residents is because it can house a good number of individuals. For example, in big cities such as New York City in the United States of America, skyscrapers may cater for up to 50 people which means that there may be reduced housing shortages and cost, as many landlords may reduce rent fees in order to attract more people. As a result, people could save money and are likely to spend it on other basic needs.

Furthermore, building upwards saves land. The reason is that tall buildings create spaces for the construction of other houses, unlike houses that are built vertically. For instance, in Lagos, Nigeria, many engineers may build three apartments in a piece of land, not only does it save land, but it provides spaces for farmland. This is particularly seen in crowded areas where there are no sufficient lands available. Also, house owners consider these necessities when building to ensure they provide enough shelter for the citizens. Therefore, this improves their comfortability.

In conclusion, the best approach to provide enough homes in cities is by constructing high-rise buildings. I firmly agree with this view because it saves land and houses a lot of people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of tall apartment blocks. The ideas regarding land conservation and housing capacity are relevant. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the claim that a skyscraper in New York caters to only 50 people is factually weak and lacks logical depth, as skyscrapers typically house hundreds or thousands. The argument about 'farmland' in Lagos is a bit disjointed and could have been better linked to the main topic of urban housing. To reach a higher band, you should provide more sophisticated reasoning and ensure your examples are realistic and fully explained to support your central argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow within paragraphs is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the idea of saving money and the conclusion in the first body paragraph is slightly abrupt. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph is a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban areas,' 'accommodation,' and 'high-rise buildings.' However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and occasionally imprecise. For example, 'good number of individuals' is vague, and 'comfortability' is a non-standard form (the correct noun is 'comfort'). There is also a lack of less common lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning and architecture to show greater flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'unlike houses that are built vertically' is confusing in context, and 'not only does it save land, but it provides' contains a minor punctuation error. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and word choice, such as 'no sufficient lands available' (land is uncountable here). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for small grammatical slips will help improve your accuracy.

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

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