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 becoming increasingly difficult to provide sufficient housing in urban areas because of the growing population. Some people believe that constructing tall apartment blocks is one of the best solutions. I completely agree with this approach.

One of the main reasons to support this argument is that multi-storey complexes make efficient use of limited land. Densely populated cities have limited and expensive land. By building multiple floors in an apartment complex, a lot of families can stay in a small piece of land. For example, densely populated cities like Mumbai and Delhi have many people who come from rural areas for work. Apartments can provide sufficient housing for them rather than conventional houses.

Another advantage of multi-storey apartments is that they provide a lot of facilities to their residents. For instance, these developments have in-house grocery stores, gyms and recreational areas, which reduce people’s reliance on private vehicles for daily tasks. As a result, there may be less traffic congestion on roads and therefore lower carbon emissions. In addition, living in the same residential area gives people more opportunities to interact with their neighbours.

However, I think that conventional homes have their own benefits. They provide more space and privacy and are much more suitable for joint families. The government should focus more on providing facilities like healthcare and public transport rather than relying on one form of housing.

In conclusion, building vertical apartment blocks is one of the best solutions to providing housing for a large number of citizens. However, other forms of housing should also be available in major cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The ideas are relevant, particularly the points regarding land efficiency and the environmental benefits of integrated facilities. However, the development is somewhat uneven; while the first two body paragraphs are well-supported, the third paragraph introduces a counter-argument that slightly undermines the strength of the initial position without fully reconciling it. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure that the counter-argument is more effectively integrated into the overall argument, perhaps by explaining why the benefits of tall blocks still outweigh the drawbacks of conventional homes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the use of cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reasons', 'For instance', and 'In addition' is effective and generally natural. The transition between the supporting arguments and the counter-argument is clear. However, the cohesion could be slightly more sophisticated; some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message with some precision. The student uses relevant terms such as 'densely populated', 'multi-storey complexes', and 'carbon emissions'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive or basic, such as 'a lot of' used multiple times. To improve, the student should aim for more varied collocations and avoid generic quantifiers. The word choice is generally 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. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally controlled. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'stay in a small piece of land' (should be 'on') and 'providing housing for a large number' (which is grammatically correct but could be more concise). The punctuation is accurate throughout. The range of structures is sufficient, but more variety in complex sentence forms (e.g., conditional clauses or passive voice) would elevate the score further.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.