Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

As urban population continue to expand, providing adequate housing without placing excessive pressure on limited land has become a major challenge for large cities. Although strategies such as urban regeneration, mixed-use development, and conversion of suitable vacant sites can all contribute to meeting housing demand, I strongly agree that constructing tall residential buildings is the most effective overall solution, particularly in the densely populated urban areas.

The principal advantage of high-rise housing is its ability to accommodate a large number of people while using relatively little land. In cities, where developable land is scarce and expensive, constructing upwards rather than outwards allows more residential units to be created without continually expanding the urban footprint. This is especially important because uncontrolled horizontal expansion can consume agricultural land, natural areas, and other spaces that are essential to the wider urban environment. Moreover, concentrating residents in a well-designed apartment complexes make it more economically viable to provide infrastructure such as public transport, water supply, sewage systems, and community facilities. Thus, high-density housing can address the immediate shortage of homes, and some of the infrastructural challenges associated with rapid urban growth.

Admittedly, tall buildings are not the only means of increasing housing supply, and they are not suitable in every circumstance. Vacant plots, underused commercial properties and existing low-density neighborhoods can all be developed to provide additional accommodation. However, these approaches are inherently limited by the amount of land available and may involve sacrificing parks, playgrounds or other community spaces. Simply converting commercial buildings into housing may also produce poorly designed home with inadequate natural light, ventilation or communal facilities. By contrast, carefully planned apartment blocks can incorporate green space, recreational areas and essential services within the same development. Their success, therefore, not only merely depends on their height but also on appropriate planning, building standards and access to public amenities.

In conclusion, while a combination of housing strategies is necessary to meet complex housing demand of growing cities, I believe that apartment blocks represent the most effective approach to large scale housing provision. By allowing cities to accommodate substantial number of residents without consuming vast quantities of additional land, well planned high-rise development can provide a sustainable and efficient response to urban population growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have taken a clear position from the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The arguments are well-developed, particularly the focus on land scarcity and infrastructure efficiency. You provide a balanced view by acknowledging alternative strategies in the third paragraph before effectively refuting them to reinforce your main argument. The ideas are relevant and supported by logical reasoning, demonstrating a strong grasp of the task requirements. To reach the highest band, you could further strengthen the response by including a specific real-world example of a city that has successfully implemented high-rise housing to mitigate urban sprawl.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits of high-rise buildings and the limitations of other strategies is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Moreover', 'Admittedly', and 'By contrast', which help guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is natural throughout the text, making the essay very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases like 'urban regeneration', 'urban footprint', 'economically viable', and 'high-density housing' show a sophisticated command of the topic. You use less common lexical items naturally, and there are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. The language is academic and appropriate for the task. The occasional minor slip, such as 'produce poorly designed home' (should be plural 'homes'), does not detract from the overall high quality of your lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of complex structures, including conditional-like reasoning and well-constructed subordinate clauses. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is excellent. There are very few grammatical slips; for example, 'As urban population continue' should be 'As urban populations continue' or 'As the urban population continues'. These are rare, non-systematic errors that do not impede communication. Your ability to vary sentence length and structure contributes to the overall fluency and professional tone of the writing.

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