Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

ot is often argued that constructing high raised apartment blocks is the moat effective solution to address the shortage of houses in major cities. I completely agree with this view it maximize land usage and more affordable for resident.

The primary reason to support tall buildings the land in large cities are extremely limited and expensive. In metropolises like Multan, Karachi and London there is no space for horizontal expansion. Therefore, to building vertical to accommodate growing population. A single tall building in small space hold houses of hundred of families, whereas the small plot have small houses to support small building to built. For example, in Singapore, which has one of the highest population densities in the world, high-rise public housing has successfully provided homes for over 80% of its population. If cities continue to build low-rise houses, they will quickly run out of land and housing prices will become unaffordable.

Another significant advantage of apartment blocks is that they are more cost-effective and sustainable. When many people live in one building, the cost of land, construction, and public services like water and electricity is shared, making homes cheaper. Moreover, tall buildings are usually located near city centers, which reduces commuting time and allows people to live closer to their workplaces. This not only saves money but also reduces traffic congestion and pollution. In contrast, building houses on the outskirts forces people to travel long distances every day.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide sufficient housing in large cities because it efficiently uses scarce land and offers affordable, well-connected living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I completely agree”) and remains consistent in the conclusion. You address the question with two relevant reasons: high-rise buildings use scarce urban land efficiently, and shared costs can make housing more affordable while central locations reduce commuting. The Singapore example gives useful support to the first point. These ideas are extended with explanations and consequences, which makes the response persuasive overall. Some claims, however, are broad or less fully substantiated: the comparison with low-rise housing and the assertion that apartment blocks are usually near city centres could use a more specific example or qualification. Developing the affordability and sustainability point with equally concrete evidence would make the argument more consistently convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs develop separate reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. The progression within the paragraphs is generally logical, and linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “Moreover,” and “In contrast” help show relationships between ideas. This gives the essay a coherent arrangement. However, some connections are abrupt or unclear, particularly “Therefore, to building vertical to accommodate growing population,” which does not form a complete link to the preceding sentence. The repeated use of explicit transitions also makes some cohesion feel mechanical. To strengthen progression, connect each example directly to the claim it supports and use clearer referencing between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “land usage,” “population densities,” “cost-effective,” “commuting time,” and “traffic congestion.” These choices help communicate the main argument, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “horizontal expansion” and “public housing.” However, several word-choice, spelling, and collocation errors reduce precision: “high raised apartment blocks,” “moat effective,” “support small building to built,” and “well-connected living” are awkward or inaccurate. Some vocabulary is also repeated, especially “building” and “houses.” Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling and word forms; this would make the range you already attempt more controlled and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional sentence (“If cities continue to build low-rise houses…”) and a relative clause describing Singapore. Several sentences are clear and accurately punctuated, so the main argument remains understandable. However, errors in sentence structure and grammatical control are persistent enough to limit accuracy. For example, “I completely agree with this view it maximize land usage” joins clauses without suitable punctuation and has an incorrect verb form; “the land in large cities are” has subject–verb disagreement; and “A single tall building in small space hold houses of hundred of families” contains several agreement and article/plural problems. Practise complete clause construction, agreement, and articles, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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