Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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)

While some advocate that building high-rise apartments in the urban areas is a practical solution to provide enough accommodation for the residents, I only partially agree with this assertion because it might cause massive environmental degradation, and unplanned demographic shifts.

On the one hand, building tall apartments is a highly efficient response to the rapid urbanization seen nowadays. As people migrate for quality education and better facilities, urban land becomes insufficient. High-rise appartements maximize this limited space, allowing thousands of people to live in the limited area, which ultimately results in significant development of the residents by continuous skill adaptation. For instance, sometimes living in an apartment is more convenient for a student who came from a rural area since it is cheap.

On the other hand, there are several drawbacks of building high-rise apartments. One possible reason is the environmental degradation. Constructing tall buildings places immense pressure on the local infrastructure and the environment. As population density increases rapidly in urban area, the demand of basic human needs, such as supply of water, gas, electricity and waste management often exceeds the current existing capacity of the systems. Moreover, the constructions itself require a vast amount of energy and funds, which ultimately cause inefficient resource allocation and larger carbon footprint. Vertical expansion often causes significant demographic shifts towards the city areas from the countryside. Since migrants continuously shift towards the city area for better opportunities, the rural economy disrupts. For example, massive urbanization causes severe water and air pollution these days.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that while high-rise buildings are incredibly efficient solution for the growing urban population, the potential disadvantages cannot be ignored. Government should strike a balance between building tall apartments and encourage rural residents to not migrate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear, partially agreeing position. The ideas are relevant, such as the efficiency of high-rise buildings versus the strain on infrastructure and rural depopulation. However, some arguments are under-developed. For instance, the claim that living in an apartment results in 'significant development of the residents by continuous skill adaptation' is vague and lacks a logical link to the topic of housing. Similarly, the suggestion that the government should 'encourage rural residents to not migrate' is a simplistic solution to a complex socio-economic issue. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point made is fully explained with clear, logical reasoning rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to guide the reader through the text. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the transition between the benefits of high-rise living and the student's personal example about students is slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the essay maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'urbanization', 'demographic shifts', and 'environmental degradation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'significant development of the residents' is an awkward phrasing, and 'constructions itself' contains a grammatical error in number agreement. The phrase 'incredibly efficient solution' is acceptable but slightly informal. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that less common vocabulary is used accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several recurring grammatical errors. Examples include 'the constructions itself' (should be 'construction itself'), 'demand of basic human needs' (should be 'demand for'), and 'Government should' (missing article 'The'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage errors throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.

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

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