Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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)

It is often argued that providing a sufficient number of homes in large urban areas requires constructing **high-rise residential buildings**. I largely agree with this view because **tall apartment blocks can preserve valuable land**, and a large number of homes can be accommodated within a single building.

Firstly, constructing a **large residential building** can help **preserve land that would otherwise be used for housing**. Building only a single-storey house on an area such as one hectare can **limit the availability of land for future housing development**. As a result, purchasing land for houses and offices may become increasingly expensive. Instead of constructing individual apartments on separate plots of land, we can **accommodate multiple households in a single high-rise building**. This can **conserve land for future development**.

Secondly, living in a **high-rise residential complex** can be more accessible for people, and apartment rents can also be **relatively affordable for people from different income groups**. People who construct their own homes require a **substantial amount of capital** and also need legal documents and approval from the local authorities, which can make the process more challenging. Meanwhile, the government can work with local communities to **preserve these areas as valuable national assets** for various purposes in the future.

To sum up, constructing **high-rise buildings to accommodate a large number of households** is a more effective way to reduce high housing costs than constructing individual homes on separate plots. Tall residential buildings can **make housing more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people**.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have clearly addressed the prompt and maintained a consistent position throughout the essay. Your arguments regarding land preservation and housing affordability are relevant and logically developed. However, the essay is quite brief, barely meeting the minimum word requirement. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand your supporting points with more detailed examples or counter-arguments. For instance, you could briefly discuss potential drawbacks, such as the impact on community living or infrastructure, to provide a more balanced and nuanced perspective. The ideas are relevant, but further elaboration would demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Meanwhile', and 'To sum up' to guide the reader through your argument. The progression of ideas is generally smooth. However, the connection between sentences could be more sophisticated. At times, the transition between ideas feels slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more tightly integrated, which will help the flow of your writing feel more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'high-rise residential buildings', 'accommodate', and 'substantial amount of capital' correctly. The language is generally precise and appropriate for an academic context. However, there is some repetition of phrases such as 'constructing' and 'land'. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of synonyms and more sophisticated collocations. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and range of less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is handled well. There are no significant errors that impede communication. To improve, you could experiment with more varied complex structures, such as using conditional sentences or passive voice constructions more frequently to enhance the academic tone. Your current control is solid, but increasing the variety of your syntactic structures would demonstrate a greater command of English grammar.

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

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