Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In many big cities around the world, finding enough housing for people is becoming a major problem. Some people believe that the best solution to this issue is to build tall apartment blocks. In my opinion, I completely agree with this statement because high-rise buildings save space and make public services easier to access.

Firstly, the main benefit of building tall apartment towers is that they save a lot of land. In large cities, space is very limited and land is extremely expensive. If cities build horizontal houses, they will run out of space very quickly and prices will go up. However, by building tall buildings with many floors, thousands of families can live in a small area. For example, in crowded cities like Tokyo, tall apartments help millions of people live close to the city center without taking up too much ground space.

Secondly, tall apartment blocks make it easier to provide infrastructure and public transport. When many people live together in one big building, it is cheaper for the government to supply water, electricity, and internet. Furthermore, public transport like buses and trains can be built near these large apartment complexes. This means people can travel to work easily without using their own cars, which helps reduce traffic jams on the roads.

In conclusion, I agree that constructing tall apartment blocks is the best way to solve the housing shortage in big cities. It makes good use of limited city land and helps governments provide better public services to residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position agreeing with the statement and supporting it with logical arguments. The writer introduces a well-defined stance in the introduction ('I completely agree with this statement') and maintains it throughout the essay. Main ideas regarding space-saving and the accessibility of public services are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as referencing Tokyo to illustrate high-density living. The arguments are thoroughly developed, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0 performance in this category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, introduced with appropriate cohesive markers such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to structure the response. Cohesive devices are handled well, ensuring smooth transitions between ideas, as seen in phrases like 'Furthermore' and 'This means'. Although the referencing is generally clear and effective, the overall progression sits comfortably within the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with adequate flexibility and precision for the task. Words and phrases such as 'housing shortage', 'limited city land', and 'infrastructure' demonstrate an appropriate command of topic-specific language. There are occasional attempts at less common items, such as 'complexes' and 'traffic jams', showing an awareness of collocation. While the range is somewhat standard and lacks the more sophisticated, uncommon lexical items required for higher bands, the vocabulary used is accurate and fully appropriate for communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures. The student successfully incorporates conditional and relative clauses, such as 'If cities build horizontal houses...' and '...which helps reduce traffic jams on the roads.' Punctuation and sentence boundary control are sound. While minor slips or repetitive structures occur occasionally, there are frequent error-free sentences, and grammatical errors do not impede communication, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptor.

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