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)

It is often argued that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. I partly agree with this view, because high-rise buildings can provide housing efficiently, but they also habve some disadvantages.

One major advantage of the tall apartment blocks is that they can accommodated many people in a small area. As the population of cities increases, available land becomes limited and expensive. Therefore, building upwards can help governments provide more homes without using large areas of land. moreover, apartments can be built near workplaces, schools and public transport, which can reduce communating time and trafic.

However, i do not believe that high-rise buildings are the only solution. low-rise houses and suburban developments can also provide comfortable accommodation. Some people prefer having more private space and access to gardens, which may not be possible in large apartment buildings. They may also reduced green spaces if urban planning is not done carefully.

In my openion, the best approach is to use a combination of housing types.governments can construct tall apartment block in croweded areas where land is scarce, while developing houses in less densel populated parts of cities for residents and create a more balanced urban environment.

In conclusion, i agree that tall apartment blocks are an effective way to solve housing shortages, but i do not think they are the best solution in every situation. A combination of high-rise and low-rise housing would be more practical. this would make cities more comfortable for everyone

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout, acknowledging both the benefits and drawbacks of high-rise buildings before concluding with a balanced approach. Ideas are generally relevant, but some are left somewhat under-developed, preventing a higher score. For instance, the mention of low-rise houses and suburban developments in the third paragraph is introduced but not fully elaborated with concrete consequences. Furthermore, it must be noted that the response falls slightly short of the minimum length requirement, containing 241 words (with 10 words copied from the prompt excluded from the word count), which means it is 9 words under the required 250-word minimum. To reach the next level, the writer needs to extend and support all main ideas more thoroughly while fully meeting the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay, demonstrating a coherent overall arrangement from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the topic, such as advantages, disadvantages, and the final recommendation. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, as seen with transition markers like 'One major advantage', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional mechanical transitions or slight lapses in cohesion prevent the response from achieving top marks. To improve further, the writer could ensure an even more seamless flow between sentences and paragraphs by employing a wider variety of sophisticated cohesive links.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing a sufficient range to discuss housing and urban development. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as 'urban planning', 'scarce', and 'balanced urban environment'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that prevent a higher band, including typos like 'habve', 'accommodated' instead of 'accommodate', 'communating', 'trafic', 'reduced' instead of 'reduce', and 'openion'. Additionally, capitalization errors occur at the beginning of sentences and with the pronoun 'i'. These errors do not impede communication, but to reach a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate greater accuracy in spelling, word form, and word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and complex sentences such as 'As the population of cities increases, available land becomes limited and expensive.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omissions and lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences (e.g., 'low-rise houses' and 'governments can construct'), but these errors rarely impede communication and do not obscure the meaning. The sentence structures are generally controlled, though mostly restricted to standard patterns. To achieve a higher score, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater frequency and eliminate basic punctuation and capitalization slips.

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

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