Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-03

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 6.5)

Many people believe that the countryside is the only space available to build more homes, whereas others are arguing that it needs to be protected and neglect the idea of building new homes there. I am completely in support of this viewpoint, and this essay will explain it in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, the countryside is the home and livelihood for many farmers. They live there and work hard to provide the grains and other nutrient resources to the world. Demolishing them might cause major damage to the economy of the particular country. As a result, we have to be dependent on foreign countries and import essential items which we can reliably grow in rural regions. Instead of building new homes in rural areas, governments should explore alternative ideas or think about expanding the existing buildings. For example, renovating the old one- or two-storey buildings into multiple floors might accommodate more residents.

Similarly, land pollution could become another noteworthy point. In many rural areas, the construction of new homes and buildings can significantly affect the surrounding land and cause environmental damage. To explain further, we can only acquire more land if we damage or cut trees in significant numbers, which directly links to pollution. For instance, based on recent studies, 30% of the land has already been acquired by the builders to build more apartments and high-rise buildings. In addition, building new houses in the countryside region not only impacts human health but also damages wildlife brutally.

In conclusion, although new homes are needed, demolish the fertilized land and harming an environment are not the correct option. Expanding the existing buildings and think about and alternative option would be the balanced approach for this issue,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding agricultural land preservation and environmental impact are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the suggestion to renovate existing buildings. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the claim that 30% of land has been acquired by builders lacks a specific context or source, which makes the argument feel slightly generalised. To reach a higher band, ensure that all points are fully extended with more nuanced reasoning rather than relying on broad assertions. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, and the position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Similarly', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are some minor issues with cohesion; for example, the final sentence of the conclusion is a fragment and lacks a proper closing structure, which disrupts the flow. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring that every sentence is grammatically complete would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task. You have used some topic-specific terms like 'livelihood', 'renovating', and 'high-rise buildings' effectively. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'demolish the fertilized land' (which should be 'developing fertile land') and 'nutrient resources' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'brutally' used to describe damage to wildlife. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that words are used in their correct context to convey meaning more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'others are arguing' should be 'others argue', and 'demolish the fertilized land' should be 'demolishing fertile land'. There are also issues with verb forms and prepositions, such as 'think about and alternative option'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score in this criterion.

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.