Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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 in larger cities is the best way to provide enough housing for the growing population. I largely agree with this view because high rise buildings occupy less land and allow more people to live in the same area. However, other housing options are also important.

The main advantage of these apartments is their prime location at the center of the city where the residents have access to every facility including health, education and career development in different fields. Life in these cities is better because you can save your budget by spending less on transportation. These apartments can accommodate a larger number of people in a small space. As cities become more crowded, the availability of land decreases and property prices increase. For instance, apartment buildings can provide accommodation to thousands of people and provide accessibility to basic life facilities.

However, I believe that building tall apartments alone cannot solve the housing problems. Because it can reduce the land pressure, but these areas can become overcrowded by people affecting the transport by putting pressure on the whole system. Furthermore, some people prefer homes with large gardens and open ventilated rooms having private outdoor spaces, especially families with younger children. Therefore, governments should also consider developing affordable housing in suburban areas and improving public transport.

In conclusion, I largely agree that tall apartments are effective way to provide sufficient housing in large cities because they make better use of limited land. Nevertheless, I believe that combining apartments with other affordable housing options is the most practical long-term solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear throughout: you largely support tall apartment blocks, while recognising that they should not be the only solution. You address both sides of the question and give relevant reasons, including efficient land use, access to city facilities, and the value of suburban housing. The example that apartment buildings can house thousands of people supports your main point, though it remains general rather than illustrating a specific context. Some ideas are less fully developed: the claim that city life is “better” because transport costs are lower needs clearer explanation, and the concern about overcrowding and pressure on transport could be linked more directly to why other housing is needed. More precise examples and fuller development would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the supporting and qualifying arguments, and a conclusion that restates your position. The progression from the benefits of high-rise housing to its limitations is easy to follow, and signposts such as “However,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This gives the response a coherent arrangement, though some connections are a little mechanical or unclear. For example, “Because it can reduce the land pressure” is a sentence fragment, and the relationship between overcrowding and transport pressure could be explained more smoothly. The repeated use of “these apartments” and “cities” also makes some references broad. Use more varied linking and clearer transitions between cause and consequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “high rise buildings,” “availability of land,” “property prices,” “overcrowded,” and “affordable housing.” These choices make your main points clear, and you attempt some more specific expressions such as “land pressure” and “open ventilated rooms.” However, several phrases are imprecise or not fully natural in context. “Career development in different fields” is vague when describing city facilities, while “save your budget” and “basic life facilities” are awkward collocations. “Prime location at the center” also overstates the point, since not all apartment blocks are centrally located. Aim for more precise collocations and avoid broad claims; this would make your vocabulary more flexible and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “where the residents have access” and a conditional-style explanation of how apartments accommodate more people. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. “Because it can reduce the land pressure” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence; connect it to the following idea or recast it. In “building tall apartments alone cannot solve the housing problems. Because…,” the full stop creates the same problem. There are also article and number issues in “are effective way” and “a larger number of people in a small space” (the latter would benefit from a clearer reference to the space available). Check sentence boundaries and articles, while continuing to use complex structures.

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