Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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)

The most effective method to ensure sufficient housing in major cities is to construct tall residential buildings. In my opinion, I agree that these apartments can be a key to eradicate housing issues but they tend to be vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

Tall residential buildings can house significantly more people than a typical bungalow over the same ground area. The apartments can have various floors stacked over each other to provide homes for multiple families, hence taking up less space. In contrast, multiple bungalows would have to be laid out in order to provide residence for the same amount of people, eventually requiring a huge area. For instance, a recent study concluded that apartment blocks have the capability to house nearly 10 times the number of people in an ordinary cottage or bungalow.

On the other hand, tall apartments can usually be risky during severe weather conditions, since they don't usually have safe evacuation channels and have to seek external help from the authorities. Meanwhile, stand-alone bungalows and cottages have a basement installed in the facility, which can be used to evacuate during hurricanes and tornadoes without requiring external support. Similarly, earthquakes and thunderstorms can prove to be more deadly for tall buildings than a single storey house. Tall buildings tend to have a weaker structural balance and can tear down relatively easily on the face of an earthquake. As for the thunderstorm, tall apartments are closer to the clouds and hence are more prone to be struck by lightning. This has remained a topic of interest among researchers and engineers in this domain.

To conclude, even though building of tall apartments remains the most ideal way to overcome residential issues in certain cities, it can put the livelihood of its people at a risk.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position on the given statement. The writer agrees that tall apartment blocks are effective for providing housing, but introduces a counter-argument regarding their vulnerability to extreme weather conditions. The ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as the comparison between multi-story apartments and single-story bungalows regarding land use and weather resilience. However, the development of the counter-argument about weather is slightly unconventional and lacks empirical depth, as the claim about thunderstorms and lightning lacks general validity. Nonetheless, the position is maintained throughout, and the main tenets of the prompt are sufficiently covered, earning a solid Band 7.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: introduction of the topic and thesis, body paragraph on space efficiency, body paragraph on weather vulnerabilities, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'For instance', 'On the other hand', and 'Similarly' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each main point housed in its own well-defined paragraph. Reference words are handled well, ensuring that the connection between ideas remains clear. Cohesion is managed capably, aligning with the requirements of Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'sufficient housing', 'eradicate housing issues', 'structural balance', and 'prone to be struck by lightning'. While there are some slight lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations—such as 'tear down relatively easily on the face of an earthquake' instead of 'collapse in the event of an earthquake'—these errors do not impede communication. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate, and the vocabulary employed adequately conveys the intended meanings, meriting a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'To ensure sufficient housing...', 'Tall residential buildings can house significantly more people than a typical bungalow over the same ground area.'). There are frequent error-free sentences, alongside a few minor grammatical slips and slightly awkward phrasings, such as 'even though building of tall apartments remains' missing a determiner, and 'put the livelihood of its people at a risk' where 'at risk' is more idiomatic. Punctuation is accurate, and control over grammar is generally good throughout, placing this securely at Band 7.0.

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

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