Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25

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)

Nowadays, many large cities have a shortage of homes because their populations are growing. Some people believe that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to solve this problem. I partly agree with this idea because it can provide many homes, but there are also other possible solutions.

To begin with, there is an array of reasons to believe that building tall apartment blocks is the best way. They save land and houses more people. Tall buildings can provide many houses on a small amount of land. In addition, a single apartment block can have hundreds of apartments, so many families can live in one building, while the same number of houses would require a much larger area of land.

In addition to this there are numerous other factors such as reducing housing shortages. Building more apartments can increase the number of available homes and help solve housing problems in large cities. When there are more homes available it can help reduce the shortage of accommodation. People may also be able to live closer to their workplace and public transport. For instance, high-rise buildings built near train stations can provide homes for many workers and allow them to travel easily without using cars. Secondly, it is convenient for residents. Apartment blocks can be built near workplaces, schools and public transportation, making daily travel easier.

In conclusion, I agree that building tall apartment blocks is an effective way to provide enough homes in large cities. This is because they can house many people while using less land and can help reduce housing shortages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the extent of agreement with building tall apartment blocks to solve housing shortages. You present a clear position in the introduction stating that you 'partly agree' because while tall blocks provide many homes, other solutions also exist. Your main body paragraphs cover relevant ideas such as land conservation, reducing shortages, and proximity to workplaces. However, your conclusion contradicts your opening position slightly by stating 'I agree' rather than 'I partly agree,' and you omit discussion of alternative solutions despite promising them in the introduction. Because the main arguments presented are relevant and extended, but the alternative solutions are missing, this corresponds to Band 6.5 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You make use of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition to this', and 'Secondly'. However, there is some repetition and mechanical linking. Furthermore, paragraphing is somewhat disorganized in the middle section; the third paragraph repeats ideas about reducing housing shortages and convenience that overlap heavily with the second paragraph and the subsequent sub-point. Reference and logical flow are occasionally repetitive, such as reiterating that apartments can be built near workplaces twice across adjacent sections. These features align well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You attempt some less common items and phrases, such as 'an array of reasons', 'housing shortages', and 'public transportation'. However, there is noticeable repetition of basic vocabulary, especially words like 'homes', 'houses', 'apartment', and 'build', which appear frequently throughout the text. While communication is never impeded and word choice is mostly natural, the lack of a wider lexical range prevents a higher score. This performance fits the Band 6 descriptor accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'When there are more homes available it can help reduce the shortage of accommodation' and 'Tall buildings can provide many houses on a small amount of land.' There are several error-free sentences, and punctuation is generally handled well. You do commit some minor stylistic awkwardness or redundancy, such as 'houses more people' where 'house' is used as an unusual verb, and minor punctuation lapses like a missing comma after introductory phrases ('In addition to this there are...'). However, grammatical errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, making this a solid Band 6.5 performance.

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