Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-13

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)

It is often argued that to tackle the home crisis situation, new houses should be built in the countryside, whereas others believe that countryside areas are crucial for the environment. Although both perspectives have their merits, I believe that the latter view is more convincing to solve the housing crisis without disturbing the ecological environment.

On the one hand, those who support the construction of new houses on the outskirts of cities argue that due to densely populated metropolitan cities there is not enough space for building new houses. This is because most of the cities have big infrastructures, and the only spaces available there are for providing good services or enjoyment for people. For example, large roads are built to tackle traffic congestion, and empty spaces are utilised to make new parks or playgrounds for leisure activities. Therefore, they believe the only method to solve this is to use countryside lands.

On the other hand, proponents of saving the environment believe that deforestation will cause disturbance in the ecology of earth. This is primarily because by cutting down the forests, humans are only causing disruption to the natural cycles. For instance, rising issues like global warming in the last few years have caused the melting of glaciers, resulting in the disturbance of ecology. In addition, countryside areas provide shelters to the wildlife. In order to provide houses to humans, cutting trees would make animals homeless. Consequently, for a sustainable future, countryside areas are very vital for all the living beings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although building houses on the countryside has certain advantages, I believe that protecting the countryside land is more beneficial in the long run. Governments should implement a balanced approach by making apartment buildings with effective designs while taking initiatives to protect the countryside as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout. You have presented both sides of the argument before concluding with your own opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of traffic congestion and the impact of deforestation on wildlife. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more deeply extended; for instance, you could have explored alternative solutions to the housing crisis, such as urban regeneration or high-density vertical living, to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the issue.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Consequently' effectively to link your points. However, the transition between the final body paragraph and the conclusion is slightly abrupt due to the missing header for the conclusion. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is consistent throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'tackle the home crisis,' 'densely populated metropolitan cities,' and 'sustainable future' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'big infrastructures' (better: 'large-scale infrastructure') and 'disturbance in the ecology of earth' (better: 'disruption to the Earth's ecosystem'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated or less common lexical items would help elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is consistently clear. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'building houses on the countryside' (should be 'in the countryside') and 'the ecology of earth' (should be 'the Earth's ecology'). Punctuation is generally accurate, and your sentence control is good. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, while ensuring that these remain error-free.

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