Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The most effective method to ensure sufficient housing in major cities is to construct tall residential buildings. I believe that these apartments can be a key to eradicating 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 on top of 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 compared to 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 collapse relatively easily in the face of an earthquake. As for thunderstorms, tall apartments are closer to the clouds and hence are more prone to being struck by lightning. This has remained a topic of interest among researchers and engineers in this domain.

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

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of tall apartment blocks, presenting a clear overall position. In the introduction, the writer states that while apartments are key to solving housing shortages, they are vulnerable to extreme weather. The body paragraphs develop these ideas, contrasting the space-efficiency of high-rises with bungalows against the perceived vulnerabilities of tall buildings during natural disasters such as tornadoes and earthquakes. However, some arguments regarding weather vulnerability, such as claims that tall buildings are closer to the clouds and more prone to lightning, are scientifically questionable and underdeveloped in terms of realistic urban planning solutions. Nevertheless, the main parts of the task are adequately addressed, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic: space efficiency versus weather vulnerability. Cohesive devices are employed adequately to connect ideas, such as "In contrast," "On the other hand," and "Similarly." However, referencing and cohesive links are occasionally mechanical or slightly repetitive, and paragraph transitions could be smoother. Overall, the organizational structure satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.5, providing a clear and easy-to-follow layout throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate lexical range suitable for an academic task, incorporating some less common vocabulary items such as "eradicting housing issues," "structural balance," and "evacuation channels." Word choice is generally appropriate, though there are minor inaccuracies and slight awkwardness in phrasing, such as "vulnerable to extreme weather conditions" and "tighter structural balance." Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and communication is never impeded. To reach higher bands, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated, precise vocabulary and more natural collocations related to urban development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures reasonably well. Examples such as "Tall residential buildings can house significantly more people than a typical bungalow over the same ground area" demonstrate good control over basic complex structures. There are some minor grammatical errors and slightly unnatural expressions, such as "have a basement installed in the facility," but these errors do not impede communication. Punctuation is generally sound. The frequency and control of error-free sentences place this response comfortably at the Band 6.5 level.

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