Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

It is believed that the most appropriate solution to ease the housing crisis in large cities is to build tall skyscrapers. While there are concerns related to natural disasters , I believe building apartment blocks is the only solution in large overcrowded cities.

Tall buildings can house hundreds of people. Big cities are generally over-populated and many cities lack enough land to build standalone houses. Skyscrapers aid to this problem, as they take up more space vertically than horizontally. Hongkong is a remarkable example. It has the most amount of skyscrapers in the world. While, it is considered one of the most crowded city, it is also regarded as the most live-able city. Not only can a single apartment block be occupied by many people, it also usually has amenities such as a swimming pool and gym. Having many facilities in one place, further reduces the usage of land.

While some may argue that tall buildings are more prone to natural disasters like earthquakes due to the immense pressure exerted on the ground, I believe, with proper planning and a strong building foundation, it can be avoided. With technological advancement, Japan has found a way to prevent skyscrapers from collapsing when faced with earthquake. Furthermore, using earthquake sensors and emergency exists, people can be evacuated from the buildings safely even before the disaster strikes.

In conclusion, although tall apartments might be at high risk of earthquakes with prevention methods it can be avoided. Building up is the most viable solution to ensure enough homes in urban areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you support tall apartment blocks as the most viable response to urban housing shortages, and you address the concern about earthquakes. The points about limited land, vertical construction and shared amenities are relevant, while Hong Kong and Japan provide examples. This covers the task well, but some claims need fuller explanation to make the argument more convincing. For instance, calling Hong Kong the “most live-able city” does not clearly show that skyscrapers have solved its housing needs, and the earthquake paragraph focuses on safety rather than comparing this approach with other ways to provide homes. Develop the evidence and explain why high-rise construction is preferable to alternatives to strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present supporting points and a concern, and the conclusion restates your position. Ideas generally progress logically, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. Some connections, however, are mechanical or unclear. The opening “While there are concerns…” introduces a contrast that is not fully explained until the next body paragraph, and “Having many facilities in one place, further reduces…” does not clearly connect the facilities to reduced land use. The conclusion also repeats the earthquake point without adding a final synthesis. Use clearer references and explain the relationship between each supporting detail and your main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “housing crisis,” “over-populated,” “standalone houses,” “amenities” and “earthquake sensors.” These choices make the subject clear, and some less common terms show an effort to be precise. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “aid to this problem,” “most amount of skyscrapers,” and “immense pressure exerted on the ground.” “Live-able” is also not the standard spelling in this context. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and precision of the vocabulary. Aim for more conventional collocations and check spelling and word forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession clause (“While some may argue…”) and the inversion “Not only can a single apartment block…”. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “While, it is considered…” places a comma incorrectly, and “it can be avoided” has an unclear singular reference after “tall apartments might be at high risk of earthquakes.” In “with proper planning and a strong building foundation, it can be avoided,” the pronoun also does not clearly identify what is being avoided. Review punctuation around introductory clauses and make pronoun references explicit. More consistent control of these structures would improve accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.