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)

Developing countries, like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are facing issues related to growing population which results in congestion in large cities. As a result, authorities are considering to build tall apartment blocks in large cities to accomodate more people. In this essay, i will discuss both aspects and other housing solutions with suitable examples.

Firstly, building taller appartments can make efficient use of sapce. In cities which are densly populated, finding sufficient space for individual houses is very difficult and expensive. By constructing multi story buildings, authorities and developers can provide home to hundreds of families.Furthermore, these appartments can be built near workplaces reducing traveling costs and saving time. For example, in cities such as Lahore, high-rise residential buildings could help accommodate the growing population without expanding the city.

On the other hand, building tall apartment blocks is not always the most effective solution. If these buildings are constructed without proper planning, they may put excessive pressure on existing infrastructure, including roads, water supplies and electricity networks. Moreover, some people prefer houses with private outdoor spaces, particularly families with children. Therefore, developing suburban residential areas and improving existing housing facilities can also help address the shortage. Governments could additionally encourage the construction of affordable houses and renovate unused buildings to make better use of available space.

In conclusion, I agree to a considerable extent that tall apartment blocks are an effective way to provide housing in large cities because they maximise the use of limited land. Nevertheless, I do not believe they are the best solution in every situation. A combination of high-rise apartments, affordable housing projects and well-planned residential areas would be a more sustainable approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your response addresses the question directly and maintains a clear, qualified position: high-rise apartments are effective, but should form part of a broader housing strategy. You support the main benefit with relevant reasoning about limited land, proximity to workplaces and the example of Lahore. The counterargument also identifies practical constraints, including pressure on infrastructure and residents’ preference for outdoor space. This covers both the advantages and limitations of the proposal. To develop the response further, explain more specifically why high-rise construction is the best way to provide enough homes compared with the alternatives you mention. The points about renovating unused buildings and suburban development are relevant, but receive less explanation than the benefits of apartments.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction establishes the issue, the body paragraphs present supporting and opposing considerations, and the conclusion restates your balanced position. Paragraphing is appropriate, and linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “On the other hand,” “Moreover” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. The ideas within each paragraph are generally ordered logically, moving from a claim to explanation or an example. To make the cohesion more flexible, avoid relying mainly on explicit transition phrases and strengthen the links between related points. For instance, the discussion of infrastructure could connect more directly to the need for careful planning, while the alternatives in the second body paragraph could be grouped and compared more clearly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “congestion,” “multi story buildings,” “existing infrastructure,” “affordable houses” and “sustainable approach.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and some topic-specific language helps the response sound appropriate for an academic essay. However, there are several spelling errors, including “accomodate,” “appartments,” “sapce” and “densly,” and some expressions are imprecise or awkward, such as “provide home to hundreds of families” and “traveling costs.” Greater accuracy with spelling and more natural collocations would improve control. Aim to use precise housing and urban-planning terms consistently, and proofread carefully for errors that can distract even when the meaning remains clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “If these buildings are constructed without proper planning, they may put excessive pressure…” and participle clauses such as “reducing traveling costs and saving time.” Most sentences are understandable, and the argument is not disrupted by grammatical problems. Some errors remain, however. In the opening, “authorities are considering to build” should be “authorities are considering building,” and “i” should be capitalised as “I.” There is also a missing space after the full stop in “families.Furthermore,” which affects punctuation. Continue practising verb patterns and checking sentence boundaries; more consistent accuracy across these structures would strengthen the response.

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