Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

As urban populations continue to grow, providing adequate housing has became a major challenge for many large cities. some people argue that constructing tall apartment blocks is the best solution to this problem . i largely agree with this view , although i believe that high- rise buildings should be combined with other forms of housing.

The primary advantage of tall apartment blocks is that they can accommodate a large number of people in a relatively small area, as land in major cities is extremely expensive and limited, building vertically allows governments and developers to make much better use of available space . for example , instead of constructing hundreds of individual houses on a large area of land , a high rise building can provide hundreds of apartment on the same piece of land. This can help reduce urban sprawl and preserve surrounding agricultural or natural areas.

Furthermore, high rise developments can make it easier to provide essential public services and infrastructure. when people live close together , public transport ,schools, hospitals and shopping facilities can be planned more efficiently. This can not only reduce travelling distances but also lower the cost of providing infrastructure. in addition, appartments are often more affordable than houses in desirable urban locations, which can make housing accessible to a large proportion of the population.

However, i do not believe that constructing tall buildings should be the only solution. excessively dense residential areas may create problems such as over crowding , traffic congestion and lack of green spaces. Therefore, cities should also develop medium- rise housing , affordable suburban communities and adequate parks and recreational areas.

In strongly believe that building tall apartment block is one of the most effective ways to trackle housing shortages in large cities, mainly because it makes efficient use of limited land and infrastructure. Neverthless, it should form part of a border urban planning strategy rather than being the sole solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that supports tall apartment blocks while advocating for a balanced urban planning approach. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, particularly the points regarding land efficiency and infrastructure optimization. The argument is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific examples or data to support the claims, such as mentioning a specific city that has successfully implemented high-rise housing, which would add depth to the supporting arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Therefore', and 'In addition' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, there are minor issues with punctuation, such as spaces before commas and periods, which slightly detract from the professional presentation. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses relevant topic-specific terms such as 'urban sprawl', 'infrastructure', and 'residential areas'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'appartments' and 'trackle', and a few instances of awkward phrasing like 'border urban planning' (likely meaning 'broader'). While the range is adequate, the student could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items to demonstrate a higher level of precision and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are several recurring errors, particularly with capitalization (e.g., 'some', 'i', 'for example') and punctuation (e.g., spaces before punctuation marks). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The use of complex structures is generally successful, but more attention to proofreading for mechanical errors would significantly improve the overall quality of the writing.

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