Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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)

Providing housing is a major challenges in large cities.Some people think that only solution is to build high rise apartment buildings .While tall buildings have some advantages.I partly disagree because there are other ways to solve the housing problems.

On the one hand, building tall apartment is an effective way to provide more homes.In big cities like Abu Dhabi,Dubai or Mumbai, the land is limited and more expensive. By building vertically we can provide thousands of families on a small piece of land.This also makes it easier for the government to provide electricity, gas and public transport in one area. For example in Singapore , high rise housing has allowed the city to house the over 5 million people comfortably.Therefore tall buildings are a pratical solution for crowded cities.

On the other hand, tall apartment blocks are not always the best solution. First, living in high-rises can affect quality of life. These buildings are often crowded, noisy, and have little privacy or green space, which can cause stress for families and children. Second, there are other ways to create more housing. Instead of only building tall towers in the city centre, governments can develop satellite towns or suburbs with good transport links. This will reduce pressure on the city. Another option is to renovate old or unused buildings in the city and convert them into homes. This is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than building new skyscrapers.

In conclusion, although tall apartment blocks are a useful way to provide housing in large cities where land is scarce, I believe it is not the only or best way. A combination of high-rise buildings, developing new towns outside the city, and reusing old buildings would be a more balanced and sustainable approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear throughout: you partly disagree because high-rise housing is useful but should be combined with other approaches. You address both sides and support your points with relevant examples, including limited land in cities such as Abu Dhabi and Singapore’s use of high-rise housing. The discussion of quality of life and alternatives—satellite towns and renovating unused buildings—also responds directly to the question. This fits a response that covers all parts and extends its main ideas. Some support remains general, however: the claims about stress and the benefits of renovation are not illustrated or explained in much detail. Developing one example further would make the argument more convincing and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion that restates your position. The progression from the advantages of building upwards to the limitations and alternatives is easy to follow. You also use signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” effectively. At times, however, the linking feels somewhat formulaic, and some connections between ideas could be made more smoothly. For instance, the move from the effects on quality of life to alternative housing strategies is abrupt. Use a wider range of referencing and transitions, and connect each supporting point explicitly to your central argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “land is limited,” “public transport,” “satellite towns,” “transport links,” and “environmentally friendly.” These choices make the discussion clear, and phrases such as “pressure on the city” and “a balanced and sustainable approach” show some flexibility. However, there are occasional word-choice, spelling and collocation slips, including “a major challenges,” “pratical solution,” and “provide thousands of families on a small piece of land.” Some wording is also repeated, particularly “tall buildings” and “housing.” Aim for more precise collocations and vary key terms where appropriate; this would make the vocabulary more natural and controlled without sacrificing clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “which can cause stress for families and children” and a comparison in “cheaper and more environmentally friendly than building new skyscrapers.” Most ideas remain understandable, and the paragraphing supports the argument. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist, though. For example, “Providing housing is a major challenges” has a number-agreement error, while “only solution” needs an article. Several sentence boundaries and spaces after full stops or commas are also missing, as in “cities.Some people” and “Singapore , high rise.” Check articles, agreement and punctuation carefully, and aim for more consistently accurate complex sentences.

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