Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there.

What is your opinion about this?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Nowadays, it is evident that majority of big cities are facing housing crisis which is a result of rise in population and migration. Therefore, some people believe that for new homes to be built, countryside areas should be used whereas, some people oppose this view and says it is significant to preserve countryside and not to use it for new construction.

On one hand, some people wants to utilizse the unused countryside areas to combat the problem of overcrowding in big cities. This is because urban areas has already reached its population level and can no longer support housing needs of growing population. To illustrate, people whi migrate from rural areas to urban areas face problems to find a decent place to live and even if they find, it will be very expensive due to excess demand and less availability of accomodation. This results in decision to build new homes across countryside to overcome such situations.

On the other hand, it is also very vital to protect the countryside and not make it like present cities. The reason for this is very vivid that if countryside will be used for construction that there will be no place left for humans to enjoy nature and peace. Furthermore, there will be ecological disturbance in counrtyside areas due to new construction as other species of those areas have to face migration or will get extinct. This will lead to environmental degradation as well as deforestation.

In my view, there should be efficient reconstruction of old homes in metropolitan cities into advanced space-saving layouts for better utilization of available space. Additionally, only necessary housing such as for students could be built on countryside areas and not for permanent settlement of people to avoid misuse.

To conclude, it is crucial to take steps to solve the problem of housing crisis while it is equally important to protect other areas and should only be used for specific reasons with outmost importance instead of consumption by all.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that balances the need for housing with the necessity of environmental protection. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, particularly in the discussion of urban redevelopment as a solution. While the arguments are well-developed, the essay could benefit from more specific, real-world examples to further strengthen the points made. The conclusion effectively synthesizes the main arguments, ensuring the position remains consistent throughout the piece.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two opposing viewpoints and the author's own perspective. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkward phrasing in the linking of ideas, such as 'The reason for this is very vivid that if countryside will be used'.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use more sophisticated terminology like 'ecological disturbance,' 'metropolitan,' and 'reconstruction.' However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'majority of big cities' (missing 'the'), 'make it like present cities,' and 'outmost importance' (should be 'utmost'). These errors do not impede communication but prevent the essay from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('some people wants,' 'urban areas has') and article usage ('the majority,' 'the countryside'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely cause confusion or impede the reader's understanding. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article consistency, as well as attempting more varied complex sentence structures to demonstrate greater control.

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