Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 6.0)

Nowadays, the population of large cities is increasingly rapidly, which creates the serious shortage of houses. Some individuals believe that building tall apartments blocks is the best way to provide enough homes. I largely agree with this statement because by building tall apartments saves more space and accommodate peoples. However, other housing options are also important. First of all, tall apartments buildings can provide homes for a large numbers of peoples in small area. In big cities land is often expensive and limited. Therefore, constructing high rise buildings is an effective and good way to use available land. For Example, big cities like Lahore and Islamabad can provide accommodation for hundreds of families without using more land. This can reduce the housing shortage and more use of urban land. Secondly, apartment building can be more affordable than individuals houses. When many families live in one building the cost of land and some construction expenses can be shared. As a result apartments are more suitable for students, workers and low income families. Furthermore, these buildings can be constructed near offices, factories and public transport make life more convenient. However, building tall apartment blocks has some disadvantages. If too many buildings are constructed without proper planning , cities may face traffic congestion, overcrowding and pressure on water and electricity supplies. In addition, some people prefer living in houses because they prefer more privacy and outdoor space and freedom. Therefore, government should also consider affordable building of houses in suburban areas to manage traffic. In conclusion, I largely agree that building tall apartments in cities are an effective way to provide enough homes because they save land and accommodate more peoples. Nevertheless, I believe that a combination of well planned apartments and other types of housing is the best solution of shortage of houses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you largely agree that tall apartment blocks can address housing shortages, while recognising that other housing types also matter. You support this with relevant reasons, including limited and expensive urban land, shared construction costs, and access to workplaces and transport. The Lahore and Islamabad example also helps make the point concrete. This meets the task well, and the balanced qualification shows some awareness of the issue’s complexity. However, a few points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, the claim that apartments are more affordable would be stronger with a clearer explanation of how savings reach residents. The disadvantages and suburban-housing alternative are relevant but less developed than your main arguments. Extending these points with specific consequences or examples would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two supporting points, a counterargument, and a conclusion. The progression from land efficiency to affordability and then to possible drawbacks is easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “First of all,” “Secondly,” “However,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. At times, though, these transitions feel mechanical, and some connections between ideas are not fully clear. For instance, “This can reduce the housing shortage and more use of urban land” does not clearly connect the two outcomes grammatically or logically. The paragraph on disadvantages also moves quickly from infrastructure pressure to personal preferences and suburban housing. Use more precise referencing and explain how each point leads to the next to make cohesion smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “housing shortage,” “high rise buildings,” “construction expenses,” “traffic congestion,” and “public transport.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt some more specific language about urban planning and affordability. However, several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and word-form errors reduce precision: “population … is increasingly rapidly,” “a large numbers of peoples,” and “more use of urban land” are not natural expressions. Repetition of “people,” “buildings,” and “houses” also limits flexibility. Aim to learn common collocations as complete phrases and use accurate forms such as “population is growing rapidly” and “a large number of residents.” This would make your vocabulary more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including cause-and-effect structures with “Therefore” and “As a result,” and a conditional clause beginning “If too many buildings are constructed.” Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “because by building tall apartments saves more space” has an incomplete or incorrectly formed clause, while “apartment building can be more affordable” and “government should also consider” need clearer article or number choices. There are also agreement and sentence-structure problems in “these buildings can be constructed near offices … make life more convenient.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, plural forms, and how to connect clauses. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control without sacrificing the range you already attempt.

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