Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is widely debated that the most effective way to accommodate people in large cities is by building apartment blocks. While houses remain suitable for certain families and offer more privacy, I agree with this view, because apartment buildings use land more efficiently and make public services more accessible.

To begin with, detached houses with private gardens offer several advantages. One of the main benifit is that having a private garden allows perents to engage with their young children in outdoor activities such as gardening and playing hide and seek. Children growing up in such an environment are more likely to develop healthy habits. Moreover, houses provide a great level of privacy. Since homeowner do not share walls or common area with neighbors, they are less likely to be disturbed by noise and can enjoy quiter, more peaceful life.

However, due to repid population growth in recent decades many countries have experienced housing shortages. Therefore, I believe that building upwards is more practical solution, as it enables cities to accumodate a large number of people in a relatively small area. High-rise residential buildings provide housing for thousands of residents, while also preserving land for parks, schools, and commercial areas.

Furthermore, apartments are mainly located close to public transport, workplaces, and shopping malls. This makes daily life more convenient while alsoreducing commuting time. In addition, apartment residents often have access to share facilities such as gyms and playgrounds, which significantly improve their quality of life.

In conclusion, despite the benifits of houses offer, constructing high-rise apartment buildings is the most effective way to maximise the land use, as they accommodate more people in a relatively small area and improves daily life by by providing access to numerous facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by exploring both sides of the argument and clearly stating a position in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported by appropriate examples, such as mentioning outdoor activities for children in gardens and the benefits of high-rise living like proximity to public transport and shared facilities. However, the development of ideas could be slightly more extended and nuanced to reach the highest band levels, as some points remain somewhat general. The response meets all the requirements of the task effectively, maintaining a clear position throughout, which places it comfortably in the Band 7 range.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with the counter-argument about houses, moving to the main argument regarding population growth, and discussing the convenience of apartments. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the essay. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout. While referencing is generally clear, occasional minor mechanical transitions prevent it from achieving a higher band, justifying a solid Band 7 score for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'accommodate', 'housing shortages', 'residential buildings', and 'commuting time'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('benifit', 'perents', 'repid', 'accumodate', 'alsoreducing') and minor word choice issues ('benefits of houses offer' instead of 'benefits that houses offer'). These lexical errors and spelling mistakes prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher level of precision and flexibility, resulting in a Band 6 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or concessive clauses ('While houses remain suitable...', 'Since homeowner do not share walls...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as singular/plural agreement ('homeowner do not share'), missing prepositions or repetition ('by by providing'), and punctuation slips. Although these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from achieving a Band 7. The grammatical control is characteristic of a Band 6 performance.

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