Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Rapid urbanization has led to severe housing shortages in major metropolitan areas around the world. While I agree that constructing high-rise residential buildings is one of the most effective solutions due to its efficient land use,clusion, while constructing tall apartment blocks is an indispensable strategy for maximizing space in overcrowded cities, it should not be viewed as the sole re I believe it must be combined with improved public transportation and suburban development to fully address the issue.

The primary advantage of tall apartment blocks is their ability to maximize limited urban land. By expanding vertically rather than horizontally, high-rise buildings can accommodate thousands of residents within a small geographic footprint. Developments allow people to live closer to commercial centers and employment hubs, which reduces long commuting times and decreases reliance on personal vehicles.

However, relying solely on high-rise structures presents several challenges and cannot be the single solution. High-rise construction requires significant capital investment, sophisticated engineering, and high ongointo trmaximize limited urban land. By expanding vertically rather than horizontally, high-rise buildings can accommodate thousands of residents within aaffic congestion and a loss of community atmosphere. Therefore, urban planners must also focus on developing satellite towns connected to the city center via reliable, high-speed public transit systems. This decentralization approach encourages balanced population distribution and offers diverse housing alternatives.

In conclusion, while constructing tall apartment blocks is an indispensable strategy for maximizing space in overcrowded cities, it should not be viewed as the sole remedy. A comprehensive solution requires combining high-density vertical building with strategic suburban planning and robust transportation infrastructure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that high-rise buildings are an effective but insufficient solution. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the argument regarding land use efficiency and the counter-argument for suburban decentralization. However, the introduction contains a significant error where text is repeated and garbled, which slightly disrupts the flow of the argument. Despite this, the main body paragraphs provide relevant and logical support for the position. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and reinforces the thesis, demonstrating a good level of task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and the limitations of the proposed solution. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'While' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the text suffers from a significant mechanical error in the first paragraph where a sentence fragment is repeated and interrupted by garbled text. This creates a momentary confusion for the reader. Aside from this specific issue, the overall structure is coherent and the progression of the argument is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and precise, with terms like 'urbanization', 'metropolitan areas', 'geographic footprint', and 'decentralization' used correctly. The student demonstrates an ability to use topic-specific vocabulary effectively. There are no major spelling errors, and the word choice is generally sophisticated enough to convey complex ideas clearly. While there are no highly idiomatic or rare expressions, the range is sufficient to discuss the topic with precision. The repetition in the first paragraph is a mechanical error rather than a lack of lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is accurate use of subordinate clauses and complex sentence forms, such as 'While I agree that... I believe it must be...'. However, the first paragraph contains a severe error where the text is garbled and repeated, which impacts the grammatical integrity of the introduction. Outside of this specific section, the grammar is largely accurate with only minor slips. Punctuation is generally handled well, and the majority of sentences are error-free, supporting a solid band 7.0 performance.

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