Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11

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 the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. This is because they can save land in metropolitan areas. I agree with the idea that providing housing in apartments is an effective solution. High-rise apartments are useful because they can accommodate a large number of people and make it easier to provide public transport and essential services.

Firstly, the main reason why I agree with this view is that high-rise apartments can provide many homes on a limited amount of land. This is particularly important because rapid population growth has increased the demand for housing. For example, many cities are developing tall apartment buildings as well-planned residential communities with multiple facilities. Therefore, these buildings can be a useful and beneficial solution for the growing population in cities.

Secondly, another important reason is that high-rise residential areas make it easier to provide public transport and essential services. In other words, when a large number of people live in the same area, public transport, schools, hospitals and other facilities can be provided more efficiently. For instance, apartment communities can provide buses for their residents and offer large parking areas. As a result, people can have convenient access to essential facilities and services in their daily lives.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that building tall apartment blocks is an effective way to provide sufficient housing in large cities. They can accommodate many people on a limited amount of land while also allowing residents to have convenient access to public transport and other essential facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding land efficiency and the provision of public services are relevant and logically developed. However, the response could be improved by acknowledging potential counter-arguments, such as the social or psychological impact of high-rise living, to provide a more balanced and nuanced discussion. While the ideas are well-supported, they remain somewhat general; incorporating more specific examples or data would elevate the response to a higher band. Overall, the task is fulfilled effectively with a consistent stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, such as 'the main reason why I agree with this view is that high-rise apartments can provide many homes on a limited amount of land.' Cohesive devices like 'Firstly,' 'Secondly,' 'In other words,' and 'As a result' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth, and paragraphing is used appropriately. The cohesion is generally unobtrusive, though the transition between the two main points could be slightly more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate and appropriate for the task. You use terms like 'metropolitan areas,' 'rapid population growth,' and 'residential communities' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler vocabulary such as 'useful,' 'beneficial,' and 'good.' To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise, academic collocations and less common lexical items. For instance, instead of 'make it easier,' you could use 'facilitate' or 'streamline.' The word choice is accurate, and there are no spelling errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'when a large number of people live in the same area, public transport... can be provided more efficiently.' The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors in tense or subject-verb agreement. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. While the control is good, the range of complex structures is somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, you could experiment with more varied sentence types, such as inversion or conditional structures, to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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

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