Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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)

A great way to manage the ever-increasing urbanization in larger cities is by building high-rise apartments. I strongly agree with this statement as this allows for more housing while occupying less land area. Furthermore, sharing a space results in less cost as compared to stand-alone houses.

With vertical buildings, the number of people that can be accommodated are much higher than that of individual houses. This is because there are many floors within a tall apartment, each floor having multiple homes. This means while many families can be accommodated within the said building, in an individual house, only a certain family can be entertained. Therefore building high-rise buildings is an efficient use of a city space. For example, China is one of the most populated country in the world. Therefore, they have built apartments to accommodate their ever-growing population.

Furthermore, the cost of an apartment is significantly less than that of a personal house due to the shared space. This is because while a house owner is a sole user of all the ameneties like water or home maintainance, a person in an apartment is sharing these resources with other people in the same building. This helps people live a decent lifestyle despite their financial statuses. For example, the apartment I live in provides its residents with all the resources like a lift, occasional maintainance without us having to worry about it.

In conclusion, building high-rise residences is a great way to manage the urbanization in big cities. I overwhelmingly agree with this because not only the tall apartment blocks help use a city's space effeciently but it is also considerably cost-effective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear and consistent position on whether tall apartment blocks are the best solution to urban housing shortages. The main arguments—maximizing land efficiency and reducing costs through shared resources—are relevant and directly supported. For instance, the writer notes that vertical building accommodates many families compared to individual houses and cites China as an example of a heavily populated nation utilizing apartments. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed; for example, the brief mention of China could have been expanded to show the direct correlation between high density and high-rise living. Nonetheless, a clear position is maintained throughout, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptor. Overall, the task is answered adequately with a coherent line of reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a logical overall progression and is divided into clear paragraphs, each dealing with a distinct central topic. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and subsequent paragraphs elaborate on land efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion' are employed to connect ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, 'Furthermore' is used to begin consecutive body paragraphs. Referencing is generally clear, as seen in phrases like 'This is because...', which helps explain the underlying reasoning of each point. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the essay is easy to follow and meets the core organizational requirements of Band 6.5 to 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'urbanization', 'cost-effective', and 'ameneties' (spelled 'amenities'). While there are some minor vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies—such as 'country' instead of 'countries' in 'one of the most populated country in the world' and 'maintainance' instead of 'maintenance'—these errors do not impede communication. The writer successfully employs functional phrasing like 'ever-increasing urbanization' and 'efficient use of a city space'. Although the range is somewhat limited and lacks the precise flexibility required for higher bands, it comfortably meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional clauses and relative pronouns (e.g., 'each floor having multiple homes', 'the apartment I live in provides...'). There are some noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'the number of people that can be accommodated are' (subject-verb agreement error with 'number') and 'only a certain family can be entertained' (inappropriate word choice for housing). Punctuation is generally fine, and despite the presence of recurring errors, they rarely impede communication. The balance of error-free sentences and complex attempts aligns well with a Band 6.0 performance.

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

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