Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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)

Sky-skrapper apartment buildings can be an effective way to accomodate people in big cities. While, this could provide substancial benefits because they take less space, are affordable, and easily manageable, I believe, the negative aspects of this trend overweigh its advantages. I will discuss both in detail, in the following paragraphs.

In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of huge residential buildings in urban areas. This is manly due to the increasing demand of houses in urban areas, because of rising population. Limited availability of ground space is also a reason for this shift. Those high-rise buildings usually accomodate a substancial amount of people, can be managed effortlessly, take minimal portion of the ground, and provide homes at a reasonable cost.

While, this increasing shift brings numerous advantages explained above, there is a down-side of this change. Tall apartment buildings can impact the environment by blocking sunlight reaching the surface, by hindering airflow in the cities, and causing serious damage to the surroundings, in case of a natural disaster, like earthquake.

In conclusion, while the construction of high-rise apartments to provide homes in major cities can bring many advantages such as affordability, easy management, to save ground space, and accomodate a large portion of the city population, there are a few drawbacks to this trend like those buildings can affect the atmosphere by limiting sunlight and reducing airflow in urban areas, and can pose severe threat to the adjacent space in case of an earthquake. So, I consider the disadvantes of this shift are greater than its benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position on tall apartment blocks and discussing both sides of the issue. The main ideas are relevant and generally well-conceived, presenting benefits like affordability and space-saving alongside drawbacks such as environmental impact and natural disaster risks. However, the development of these ideas varies; while some points are stated clearly, others such as environmental consequences remain somewhat broad and could benefit from further extension or specific real-world examples. To reach the next level, the writer needs to ensure that all arguments are fully elaborated with deeper analysis and more comprehensive supporting details throughout the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each main paragraph dedicated to a distinct aspect of the prompt. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as using 'While this increasing shift' and 'In conclusion', though some referencing and transitions can feel slightly mechanical. To achieve a higher standard, the writer should employ a more sophisticated and flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing between sentences flows naturally without relying on formulaic transitional phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the intended arguments and demonstrating attempts at less common lexical items such as 'substancial', 'residential buildings', and 'surroundings'. However, there are notable spelling and word-form inaccuracies that detract from precision, such as 'accomodate' instead of accommodate, 'sky-skrapper' instead of skyscraper, 'substancial' instead of substantial, and 'manly' instead of mainly. Additionally, the phrase 'overweigh' is used instead of outweigh. To progress further, the writer must improve spelling accuracy and demonstrate a more precise control of less common vocabulary and collocations to ensure smoother communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating an ability to combine clauses using subordinating conjunctions. There are some grammar and punctuation errors present, particularly with comma splices and unnecessary punctuation, such as 'While, this could provide...' and 'I believe, the negative aspects...', which disrupt the flow of sentences. Article and preposition usage within certain patterns also display minor lapses. These errors rarely impede communication, keeping the control at this level. To improve, the writer needs to eliminate punctuation errors around introductory and embedded clauses and increase the variety of error-free complex structures.

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