Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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)

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?

In this day and age, due to globalisation, population density has risen as a result. most of the people prefer cities for work; hence, they need space to live. I totally agree that building high-rise apartments and skyscrapers plays a significant role in a country’s economy.

On the one hand, these high-rise buildings are more beneficial than multiple residential areas which require a huge area, while multiple apartments can squeeze in more homes on each floor. High-rise apartment blocks usually offer homes at a price lower than a house on land. Bungalows, semi-detached, double story houses would usually be a pain in the wallet for those who are new in the city. By building more apartments, more affordable housing can be accessible to many layers of society. For instance, we can visualise examples in Shanghai and Chengdu where most of the structures are modern and high-rise, with more than 50 floors, which provide several facilities to the people who live in these apartments. Consequently, these buildings are more economical and cost-effective compared to villas or residential houses.

On the other hand, although this notion has more advantages, there are several challenges that we need to face. These high-rise structures require advanced planning, and had has environmental concerns such as deforestation to build these structures; more trees need to be cut, and it would lead to a rise in temperature. Moreover, surviving in such urbanising areas is becoming increasingly challenging for underprivileged individuals. I believe that these buildings are crucial for the economy of the nation; instead of living in congested areas, people need to live in these apartments because more and more people can live in an apartment compared to a small house.

To conclude, tall apartment structures are rapidly growing in big cities to solve population density issues. Although they have some disadvantages, proper planning and sustainable policies are required.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout the essay. The introduction outlines agreement with the prompt, though the justification shifts slightly towards economic benefits rather than purely addressing housing availability. Main body paragraph one presents strong arguments about cost-effectiveness and spatial efficiency, supported by examples from Shanghai and Chengdu. Main body paragraph two acknowledges counter-arguments regarding environmental concerns and urban challenges, though the connection back to the economic argument ('I believe that these buildings are crucial for the economy of the nation') feels slightly tangential to the core prompt about providing enough homes. Ideas are generally well-extended, earning a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 representation, fitting comfortably at Band 6.5 due to slight tangential development in the conclusion of arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is coherent overall with a clear logical arrangement divided into an introduction, two main body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate advantages and challenges. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and local cohesion occasionally feel a bit mechanical or slightly disjointed, such as 'had has environmental concerns' and the transition into the final thesis statement. Overall, progression is maintained, but minor flaws in referencing and cohesive flow keep this criterion at a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'population density', 'cost-effective', 'spatial efficiency' (implied), and 'urbanising areas'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'a pain in the wallet' (too informal/idiomatic for an academic essay) and minor phrasing issues like 'multiple residential areas which require a huge area'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control lacks the precision and flexibility required for a Band 7. The vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses (e.g., 'which provide several facilities to the people who live in these apartments'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that disrupt accuracy, most notably 'had has environmental concerns' and punctuation or capitalization slips like 'most of the people'. While complex structures are attempted, they are not always error-free. The errors do not impede overall communication, placing the performance securely within the Band 6 descriptor.

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

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