Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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)

A good approach is to take a partly agree position, high rise apartment are an effective solution, but they are not the only or necessarily the best solution.

The rapid growth of urban populations has created a serious demand for housing in many large cities. Some people argue that constructing tall apartment building is the most effective way to provide sufficient accommodation. While i agree that high rise buildings can help address housing shortages, I do not believe that they are the best solution in every situation.

One major advantage of building tall apartment blocks is that they allow a large number of people to live in a relatively small area. Since land is often scarce and expensive in major cities, constructing vertically makes much better use of available space than building large numbers of individual houses. Furthermore, these buildings can be constructed near public transport , workplaces and essential services.

However, relying entirely on tall buildings can create several problems. High-density housing may result in overcrowding, traffic congestion and increased pressure on public services. In addition, some families may prefer houses with gardens and more privet outdoor space.

In conclusion, i believe that tall apartment blocks are an effective way to address housing shortages because they use urban land efficiently and accommodate large numbers of residents. Nevertheless, they should not be considered the only solution. A combination of high rise and low housing , together with the renovation of existing properties, would be a more balanced and sustainable approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by taking a balanced position. Your ideas are relevant, such as the mention of land scarcity and the potential for overcrowding. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific examples or deeper analysis. For instance, when discussing the 'renovation of existing properties,' you could briefly explain how this preserves the character of a city while increasing density. Your position is clear throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes your balanced viewpoint.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore,' 'However,' and 'In addition' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages of high-rise living. The flow of information is generally smooth, though some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the relationship between your arguments is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urban populations,' 'housing shortages,' and 'sustainable approach.' There are some minor errors, such as 'privet' instead of 'private' and 'high rise' which should be hyphenated as an adjective ('high-rise'). While you use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary to demonstrate a higher level of lexical control and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'If...' or the concession 'While I agree...'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'high rise apartment are' (should be plural 'apartments' or 'blocks are') and the lowercase 'i' used for the pronoun 'I'. Punctuation is generally correct, though there are occasional spacing issues before commas. The majority of your sentences are clear and error-free, and your grammatical mistakes do not impede the reader's understanding of your arguments.

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

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