Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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)

In recent times, metropolitan areas face catastrophic housing shortage and authorities need to solve this issue by working through a number of different strategies. Many people think that the best way to overcome this problem is to build high-rise residential buildings. While I agree with this viewpoint but it is not a standalone solution and can have serious issues if grouped with some other strategies.

On the one hand, expanding upward can solve the issue as one high building tower can accommodate hundreds of people on a small land area. For example, megacities like New York, Singapore and Shanghai have successfully fulfilled the need of houses by constructing multi-stories apartment buildings, without using a massive amount of land and destroying green spaces.

On the other hand, these high rise towers have solved the issue of providing homes to its residents but at the cost of constricting them to narrow space apartments. For instance, people who live in tall buildings with no green spaces are more likely to become lonely and struggle with depression and other mental health issues. So, the best way to solve this problem is using a number of strategies. The government can use barren and isolated lands to build houses instead of building high-rise towers right next to each other, so people can enjoy fresh air and find space to unwind by feeling nature.

In conclusion, tall buildings can be one solution to provide enough homes but it is not the only solution. The use of far spread lands that are left abandoned can also be used to provide people homes. A method with a combination of different strategies is the best way so people can live happily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by considering the extent to which tall apartment blocks are the best solution for housing shortages in large cities. You present a clear position that while high-rise buildings are an effective strategy, they should be combined with other approaches, such as developing isolated lands. The ideas are generally relevant and supported with examples like New York, Singapore, and Shanghai. However, the development of ideas in the third paragraph is somewhat contradictory or confused, particularly when you state that high-rise towers can have serious issues if grouped with other strategies, before arguing for a combination of methods. Despite this minor confusion in reasoning, all parts of the task are addressed with a clear overall position maintained throughout. This performance aligns well with Band 6.5, rounded to 6.0 due to the slight under-development and confusion in supporting arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the argument. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, there are some mechanical or awkward transitions, such as 'if grouped with some other strategies' in the introduction, and referencing is occasionally unclear. Furthermore, the sentence 'So, the best way to solve this problem is using a number of strategies' interrupts the logical flow of the third paragraph. Overall, the organizational structure is clear, demonstrating sufficient cohesion for a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'metropolitan areas', 'catastrophic housing shortage', 'residential buildings', and 'multi-stories apartment buildings'. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices and collocations are slightly inaccurate or unnatural, such as 'far spread lands', 'abandoned lands', and 'multi-stories' instead of 'multi-storey'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor word-choice errors do occur. These lexical limitations and occasional imprecise collocations place your vocabulary score firmly in the Band 6.0 category, as the language used is adequate to convey your meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures ('if grouped with') and relative clauses ('people who live in tall buildings'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. For instance, the sentence 'While I agree with this viewpoint but it is not a standalone solution' contains a redundant conjunction 'but'. Other errors include 'accommodate hundreds of people on a small land area' (preposition choice) and 'the need of houses' instead of 'for houses'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor errors in grammar and prepositions prevent the achievement of a higher band. These errors do not impede overall communication, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

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

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