Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

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 4.0)

To construct high rise apartment blocks is the most suitable option to provide maximum homes in large cities. I totally agree with this because tall apartment blocks use the land efficiently and reduce the shortage of houses. Tall buildings accommodate people on limited land. In large cities, there is a limited area so constructing blocks has more houses on a single plot. For example, tall apartments provide more houses to people while individual housing require more space.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

Your position is clear: you totally agree that tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide homes, and you give a relevant reason—limited urban land can accommodate more residents when housing is built vertically. The comparison with individual houses also supports this point. However, the response is far too brief to address the task fully: it contains 77 words against the required 250. As a result, the argument remains minimal, with no developed explanation of how high-rise construction reduces housing shortages, no further supporting reason, and no meaningful example beyond a general comparison. To strengthen the response, explain the benefits in more detail, consider a relevant limitation or counterargument, and support your position with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The ideas are relevant and follow a basic logical order: you state your agreement, explain that cities have limited land, and compare apartment blocks with individual houses. The example introduced by “For example” helps connect the final point to your reason. However, the response is very short and has no paragraph development, so the argument does not progress beyond one main idea. The repeated references to “tall apartment blocks,” “tall buildings,” and “blocks” also make the links between sentences feel somewhat repetitive. Organise a fuller essay into an introduction, developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion, using clear links between each reason and its supporting explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “high rise apartment blocks,” “limited land,” “large cities,” and “shortage of houses,” and the main meaning is clear. There is some repetition of basic terms such as “houses,” “blocks,” and “tall,” and a few expressions are not natural or precise: “provide maximum homes” and “individual housing require more space.” A broader range of accurate housing and urban-planning vocabulary would help you explain your ideas more precisely. For example, you could refer to “housing capacity,” “urban density,” or “residential land,” while checking that each phrase fits its sentence naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Your short response is generally understandable, and you attempt a complex sentence with “because” to explain your position. However, most sentences use simple patterns, so there is little evidence of a wider grammatical range. There is also a subject–verb agreement error in “individual housing require more space”; the verb should agree with the singular subject. The opening phrase, “To construct high rise apartment blocks is the most suitable option,” is grammatically awkward, and the extra spacing before “In large cities” is a minor punctuation and presentation issue. Practise varying sentence structures and check agreement, for example: “Individual houses require more land than apartment blocks.”

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