Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. This is an important issue because many cities are facing a shortage of housing. In my opinion, I strongly agree with this statement because tall buildings can save land and provide homes for a large number of people.

One of the main reasons is that tall apartment blocks can save a large amount of land. This is because many families can live in one building instead of building separate houses for each family. As a result, cities can use their limited land more efficiently. For example, a twenty-storey apartment building can provide homes for hundreds of people in a relatively small area. Therefore, high-rise buildings can be an effective solution to housing shortages in large cities.

Another important point is that tall apartment blocks can provide more affordable housing. In other words, when many apartments are built in the same place, the cost of land and construction can be shared among a large number of residents. This can help reduce the overall cost of housing. For instance, apartments are often cheaper than individual houses in major cities. Thus, building more apartment blocks can make housing available to more people.

In conclusion, tall apartment blocks can help cities save land and provide more affordable homes for a large number of people. I strongly believe that building high-rise apartments is one of the best ways to solve the housing shortage in large cities.`

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses all parts of the task by taking a firm position ("I strongly agree with this statement") and sustaining it throughout the essay. The main ideas—saving land and providing more affordable housing—are relevant and well-supported with logical explanations and examples, such as the twenty-storey apartment building. While the development is straightforward and leans towards generalisation rather than exploring multiple perspectives, it fully satisfies the requirements of Task Achievement at Band 7.0. The position is clear, and the arguments are extended with sufficient supporting details to meet the descriptors for this level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with the introduction, moving to land conservation, then affordability, and finishing with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as "One of the main reasons", "As a result", "Another important point", and "In conclusion" are used effectively to guide the reader through the text, although some connectors are somewhat standard and formulaic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as "housing shortage", "affordable housing", "high-rise buildings", and "construction". There are attempts to use less common expressions, and meaning is communicated clearly throughout. However, the vocabulary tends to be somewhat repetitive (e.g., repeating "tall apartment blocks" and "large cities" frequently) rather than demonstrating a wide or flexible range of synonyms and sophisticated lexical control. Spelling and word choice are accurate, supporting a solid Band 6.0 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student successfully incorporates subordinate clauses and relative structures, such as in the sentences "This is because many families can live in one building instead of building separate houses..." and "...when many apartments are built in the same place, the cost of land and construction can be shared...". There are frequent error-free sentences, and grammar and punctuation are controlled well enough that communication is never impeded. While the grammatical range is not notably wide or adventurous, the control demonstrated over complex structures safely places this at Band 7.0.

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