Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17
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)
In today's rapidly evolving world, the issue of accommodation has been a matter of considerable public interest in the urban areas especially. While some people believe that by constructing multi-storey buildings with a number of flats, the problem of lack of housing can be resolved, others disagree with the statement. From my perspective, this approach brings an equal number of merits and demerits. Although tall apartment blocks accommodate more individuals and occupy less space, the disadvanatges of these during any natual calamity cannot be overlooked.
One of the major reasons behind the notion is that by constructing tall apartment buildings, more people can get houses to live which occupy less space. To cite an example, in Mumbai city in India, several migrants used to live together in a one bedroom apartment because of the inavailability of houses, making it too congesting and suffocating. However, this problem has been reduced a lot after the introduction of huge residential buildings in the area. Therefore, tall building plays an essential role in reducing the overcrowded housing issue in big towns and cities.
On the other hand, the situation can lead to repercussions during the times of natural calamities. To illustrate, In Nepal duirng the recent floods, the buildings that were most affected, were large ones because those floated with the extreme pressure of water, leading to thousands of casualities. Moreover, owing to the collapse of these structures, many low laying houses and stores were also drown. As a result, due to the height of these building, chances of the damages caused by them on their neighbouring sites are likely be higher. leading to the casualities and widespread destruction.
Taking everything into account, I finally conclude that even though tall residential buildings facilitie people by providing housing and avoid overcrowding, the adverse effects these have during the times of natual disasters can not be ignored owing to the number of deaths occurred while their collapse.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address both sides of the issue and give a clear, balanced position: tall blocks help ease overcrowding, but their risks during disasters should not be ignored. The Mumbai example supports the housing argument, while the Nepal floods example is intended to illustrate the danger of structural damage. However, the response does not fully answer which approach is the best way to provide enough homes: the conclusion repeats the pros and cons without clearly weighing them or stating how far you agree. The disaster argument also needs more precise explanation, and the examples are asserted rather than fully developed. To strengthen the response, explain the conditions under which high-rise housing is effective and compare its benefits with realistic alternatives or safety measures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two main arguments, and a concluding paragraph. The progression from the housing benefit to the disaster risk is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “Taking everything into account” help guide the reader. Some linking is less controlled: “Therefore” and “As a result” sometimes introduce claims that are not fully established, and the final sentence beginning “leading to the casualties” is awkwardly attached to the preceding idea. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, as in “the buildings that were most affected, were large ones because those floated.” Use more precise links between evidence and claims, and make each paragraph’s reasoning flow without relying on formulaic transitions.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “multi-storey buildings,” “overcrowded housing,” “natural calamities,” and “repercussions.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and some less common expressions show an attempt to vary your language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “get houses to live,” “too congesting,” “low laying houses,” and “the damages caused by them.” Spelling errors, including “disadvanatges,” “inavailability,” “duirng,” and “casualities,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural combinations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe housing as “accommodating residents” and say that buildings “collapsed” or “were damaged” rather than that they “floated.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in “Although tall apartment blocks accommodate more individuals…” and a cause-and-effect structure beginning “owing to the collapse.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. For example, “more people can get houses to live which occupy less space” has an unclear relative clause, while “chances of the damages … are likely be higher” is missing “to” and has an awkward grammatical construction. There are also agreement and punctuation problems in “tall building plays” and “the buildings that were most affected, were large ones.” Practise building accurate complex sentences, checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and clause boundaries, and proofreading punctuation.
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