Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

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)

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 lower costs as compared to stand-alone houses.

With vertical buildings, the number of people that can be accommodated is 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 countries in the world. Therefore, they have built apartments to accommodate their ever-growing population.

Furthermore, the cost of an apartment is significantly lower 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 amenities like water or home maintenance, 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 instance, the apartment I live in provides its residents with all the resources like a lift, regular maintenance 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 efficiently but they are also considerably cost-effective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout, strongly agreeing that tall apartment blocks are the best solution for urban housing. Main ideas regarding space efficiency and cost-effectiveness are introduced and supported with relevant examples, such as referencing China's population density and personal living arrangements. However, while the ideas are relevant, some of the supporting explanations are slightly repetitive or under-developed, particularly regarding how shared resources translate into financial savings for residents. The position is maintained consistently from the introduction to the conclusion, meeting the core requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7, matching the Band 7 descriptor for addressing all parts of the task with a clear position and extended ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with an introduction that states the writer's position, followed by two body paragraphs exploring space and cost benefits respectively, and concluding with a clear summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'This is because', and 'For example' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, referencing is occasionally slightly repetitive ('This is because... This is because...'), preventing it from reaching a higher band. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'ever-increasing urbanization', 'high-rise apartments', 'accommodated', and 'cost-effective'. There are attempts to use less common lexical items like 'stand-alone houses' and 'financial statuses', showing an awareness of style and collocation. Word choice is generally appropriate, though there are a few minor inaccuracies such as 'a certain family can be entertained' instead of 'accommodated' or 'housed'. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout, supporting smooth communication and comfortably fitting the criteria for a Band 6.5 or 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses (e.g., 'This means while many families can be accommodated within the said building, in an individual house, only a certain family can be entertained'). There is a good control of basic grammar and punctuation, and many sentences are error-free. However, some minor awkwardness or errors persist, such as 'not only the tall apartment blocks help use' where word order is slightly faulty, and 'resources like a lift, regular maintenance without us having to worry about it' which lacks parallel structure. These errors rarely impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.5.

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

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