Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is undoubtedly true that to provide sufficient homes for the population, a larger building infrastructure is needed in urban areas. There are vital reasons for building tall apartments. However, I oppose this view because of environmental issues and job competition

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To begin with, there are significant reasons for arguing against building tall apartments. One primary reason is agricultural degradation. This is because rural area citizens move to larger cities to seek work rather than doing agricultural work. If they find work in urban areas, this leads to a lack of agricultural workers. As a result, the nation will face degradation in the agricultural industry. In addition to that, when agriculture has fewer workers, the food also comes in less quantity, and due to this, the population may die of hunger.

Furthermore, another reason is that if larger cities cover up for building apartments to provide homes, many natural and environmental problems will rise. As overpopulation not only wants a home to stay in, but they will need other things, namely transportation for travelling. Consequently, this affects the air quality, and as a result, it may lead to air pollution. Additionally, not only this, but competition in occupations will rise due to overpopulation. Since the rural population works in lower-paying jobs, the urban area population experiences the highest unemployment rate.

In conclusion, building tall apartments has major drawbacks, such as agricultural degradation and competition in jobs, and affects the air quality. Therefore, to provide housing for the population in major cities, tall apartments should not be built.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you oppose relying on tall apartment blocks, and you give reasons concerning agriculture, air quality and employment. These points are relevant to the topic, but the response does not fully explain why tall buildings themselves cause the problems described. For example, the claim that city housing reduces the number of agricultural workers needs a clearer link to building height, while the prediction that people may “die of hunger” is not supported with an example or explanation. The employment point is also difficult to follow because the relationship between rural workers, urban residents and unemployment is not made explicit. Develop fewer arguments more fully and acknowledge how apartment blocks could increase housing supply before explaining why they are not the best solution.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the main ideas generally progress from agriculture to environmental effects and employment. Linking expressions such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore” and “In conclusion” help signal this organisation. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. In the second body paragraph, “As overpopulation not only wants a home to stay in” does not clearly connect the need for housing with increased transport, and “Additionally, not only this” repeats the transition without adding a clear relationship. The conclusion also lists the arguments rather than drawing them together. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and make each paragraph develop one central point in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “agricultural degradation,” “air quality,” “air pollution” and “unemployment rate,” which helps communicate the subject. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “sufficient homes” and “primary reason.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, making some ideas less precise: “the food also comes in less quantity,” “larger cities cover up for building apartments,” and “the urban area population experiences the highest unemployment rate.” Repetition of “building tall apartments” and “population” also limits flexibility. Aim for natural collocations and precise terms—for example, describe a “decline in food production” rather than food coming in less quantity—and check that each phrase expresses the intended relationship.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and cause-and-effect structures such as “If they find work in urban areas, this leads to…” and “Since the rural population works…”. Most sentences remain understandable, and errors do not generally prevent the reader from following your argument. Some grammatical problems do, however, make particular sentences difficult to interpret. For instance, “As overpopulation not only wants a home to stay in” gives a human desire to “overpopulation,” and the “not only…but” construction is incomplete. In “when agriculture has fewer workers, the food also comes in less quantity,” the clause structure is awkward. Review sentence construction and ensure subjects match their verbs and meanings; punctuate the opening sentence’s final “However” clause without separating it from the paragraph.

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