Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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 rapid growth of urban populations has created a serious shortage of housing in many large cities. Some people believe that best solution is to construct tall apartments bloks. I partly agree with this view because high rise buildings can provide more homes while using less land, but they should not be only solution.

On the one hand building tall apartment blocks is an effective way to accommodate a large number of people in limited area. Since land is often expensive and scarce in major cities, constructing vertically allowa more famulies to live in the same space. Moreover, high rise housing can be built near workplaces, schools and public transport , which can reduce commuting time and traffic congestion. For instance, in cities such and Mumbai, tall residential building are widely used to provide affordable housing for a growing population without taking up large areas of land.

On the other hand, relying only one high rise buildings can creat several problems. If too many indivuduals are concentrated in one area, pubic service sich as roads, hospitals, schools, and water supplies may become overloaded. Furthermore, some people prefer houses with gardens because they provide more privacy and open space. Therefore, government should also consider other solutions, such as developing smaller towns around major cities and improve tpublic transport between residential areas and cities. This approach could reduce pressure on latge cities while peoviding people with suitable housing.

In conclusion, I firmly agree that tall apartment blocks are important way to solve housing shortages in large cities because they use limited space. However, the combination of high rise housing, better transport would be more practical long term solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position on whether tall apartment blocks are the best solution to urban housing shortages. The essay outlines a balanced view, acknowledging both the benefits of vertical construction in saving land and the potential drawbacks such as overloaded public services and loss of privacy. Ideas are adequately extended and supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning Mumbai. The position remains clear throughout the response, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different viewpoints, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs exploring opposing arguments, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the argument. While some of the cohesive links are slightly formulaic, cohesion is generally well-managed throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'urban populations', 'infrastructure', 'traffic congestion', and 'affordable housing'. There are some spelling and word choice errors, such as 'bloks' instead of 'blocks', 'allowa' instead of 'allows', 'famulies', 'pubic', 'sich', 'indivuduals', 'improve' instead of 'improving', and 'latge'. These errors do not impede communication, but they reflect a Band 6 level rather than higher bands due to noticeable mechanical inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or relative clauses such as 'which can reduce commuting time and traffic congestion'. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the essay, including missing articles ('the best solution', 'the only solution', 'the government'), agreement issues ('government should also consider'), and spelling mistakes. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear, placing the response securely in the Band 6 category.

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

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