Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-21
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 often argued that acommodating people in big cities would only be possible, if we build multiple floors buildings. I would agree with this statement, and in this eassy i will discuss multiple reasons.
One of the major problem is, land is very expensive. Owning a plot or residential place in major cities is a blessing. Cities are not devolping as fast as people are moving in. For instance, a home can accomodate 5 people while the same space of home if built vertically will be able to accomodate 50 people.
Moving forward, cost of living is very high in develop cities. People are not able to afford homes because the cities are not expanding or developing in a planned way. Flats are cheaper as compared to homes, people can afford them and they are also easy to manage, as in residential buildings we can accommodate as many people as much we want by using the minimum resourses.
Another important benefit is that appartment blocks can support more efficent urban planning. When residential buildings are concentrated in particular areas, governments can provide public transport, water supplies, electricity, and other essiential services more efficently. Furthermore, higher population density may encourage the development of shops, schools and healthcare facilities within walking distance, reducing dependence on private vehicles.
In conclusion, I largely agree that tall appartment blocks are the best way to adress housing shortages in large cities because they use land efficently and support the provision of urban services. Nevertheless, a balanced housing strategy that combines high-rise buildings with other affordable and well-planned residential options would be more effective in the long term.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you largely agree that tall apartment blocks are the best way to address urban housing shortages. You give relevant reasons, including expensive land, affordability, and the efficient provision of services, and the example comparing capacity for five and fifty residents helps illustrate the space-saving argument. The discussion of transport, utilities, and nearby facilities also shows some development beyond simply stating that more people can live in flats. However, the affordability point is asserted rather than explained, and the essay gives little consideration to limitations of high-rise housing before introducing a balanced strategy in the conclusion. Develop these points with a specific example or explanation to make the response more fully supported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs presenting reasons, and a conclusion that restates your position. Sequencing phrases such as “Moving forward” and “Another important benefit” help signal the progression, while the final paragraph brings the main arguments together. The ideas are generally easy to follow, but some links are mechanical, and the relationship between claims is not always precise. For example, the paragraph about cost of living moves from unaffordable homes to flats being cheaper without explaining the connection in detail. The conclusion’s qualification about combining housing types is also introduced without being developed earlier. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and connect each paragraph’s claims more explicitly.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “housing shortages,” “urban planning,” “population density,” and “dependence on private vehicles.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and some topic-specific phrasing is effective. However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural collocations reduce accuracy, as in “accomodating,” “develop cities,” “minimum resourses,” and “address housing shortages” (the last is correctly spelled in the conclusion, but “address” is misspelled earlier as “adress”). “Multiple floors buildings” is also an awkward way to describe the proposed housing. Aim for consistent spelling and more natural collocations, such as “multi-storey apartment buildings” and “developed cities,” and avoid repeating broad terms such as “home” when more precise wording is available.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional comparison (“if built vertically”) and a longer sentence explaining how dense development can support services. Most of the meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “One of the major problem is” has a singular–plural agreement error, and “if we build multiple floors buildings” has an awkwardly formed noun phrase and sentence structure. The opening comma in “would only be possible, if” is unnecessary, and the sentence beginning “For instance, a home can accommodate…” becomes difficult to follow because of its repeated “home” construction. Review agreement, articles, punctuation, and sentence boundaries, and simplify constructions when needed to maintain control.
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