Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-26

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 the modern world, rapid population growth and highly crowded cities cause residence shortages, and people should decide what type of residence would be more suitable to alleviate this problem. Some people believe that tall apartment blocks would be the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. Although tall apartments can cause inconvenience and concern, I agree that it will remain the best option for several reasons.

On the one hand, living in apartment offers a restricted space and inconvenience compared to single private houses. The conditions such as a connection between all apartments and an absence of private courtyards will result in less private and more noisy life. As a result, people who prefer solitude and peaceful environments can choose single private houses. Moreover, the higher the apartment, the more dangerous it is in the case of natural disasters and unexpected accidents. Tall blocks are often vulnerable and the chance of successfully evacuating is low compared to single private houses.

On the other hand, single houses are less environmentally friendly and less effective way to provide a home for all people. Building small private houses will cover more space which results in the reduced wildlife habitat, creating environmental problems. Large and crowded cities often lack a space for such houses and this option is often unavailable. In addition, as apartments are more affordable compared to single private houses, they will place less financial pressure on individuals to purchase a residence.

In my opinion, accurately planned and high quality tall apartment blocks could create convenient environment while providing all people with enough homes. Building a large amounts of single private houses will demand more resources and space, which is less adequate option.

In conclusion, I agree that the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks, as preserving resources is essential and high quality apartments will create a convenient and safe environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses all parts of the task, presenting a well-developed position throughout. In the introduction, the writer states their agreement with the prompt regarding tall apartment blocks. Body paragraph 1 explores the drawbacks, such as lack of privacy and safety concerns during natural disasters. Body paragraph 2 and the following elaboration discuss the advantages, including environmental sustainability and affordability. The main ideas are extended and supported with relevant reasoning, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptor for Task Achievement. The student maintains a clear stance from the beginning to the end of the essay without wandering off-topic.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, with appropriate opening transitions such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices are used generally well, although there are minor instances of clunky referencing or mechanical phrasing, such as 'The conditions such as a connection between all apartments'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, guiding the reader smoothly from the introduction through the balanced body paragraphs to a concise conclusion. This performance fits securely within the Band 7 criteria for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'alleviate this problem', 'solitude', 'wildlife habitat', and 'financial pressure'. There are occasional lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'residence shortages' instead of 'housing shortages' and 'cover more space' instead of 'occupy more land'. However, these errors do not impede communication. The writer also attempts some less common vocabulary items with general awareness of academic style, placing the response comfortably at Band 6.5, rounded to 6.0 based on strict band criteria, or solid 6.0 for adequate range with some word choice errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'Although tall apartments can cause inconvenience and concern, I agree that it will remain the best option'. There are several grammatical errors scattered throughout the text, including article omissions and countable/uncountable noun confusions, such as 'living in apartment' instead of 'living in apartments', 'less noisy life' instead of 'a less noisy life', and 'lack a space' instead of 'lack space'. Despite these frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation, they rarely impede communication, earning a Band 6 score.

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