Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-25

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)

Building new homes become necessary for accommodating growing population. While some argue that suburban area must be utilized for building new houses, others emphasize to preserve the countryside by not constructing new homes there. In this paragraph, I shall elucidate both sides of the argument with my support to the latter viewpoint.

The predominant reason building residential properties is the accommodation it facilitates to new home buyers. Vacant lands in suburbs can be optimally utilized for the development of new housing infrastructure. Precisely, new developments are needed to house the growing population. Eventually, it would decrease house prices making it affordable for the first time home buyers and mitigate the housing crisis. Apart from this, new construction sites would be able to provide employment opportunities to the local population which in turn contribute to economic growth.

Nevertheless, Protection of countryside is also equally important. Some areas are yet to be explored and to be utilized for the construction purposes making it rich of natural resources and serene environment. Specifically, increase in population would affect ecological stability and authenticity of the suburban areas. As a result, it will disrupt biodiversity and would have adverse impact on environment conservation. Apart from this, such areas can also be used for developing amusement parks, play grounds, and other facilities which will not only economically beneficial but also advantageous for environment preservation.

In my opinion, while construction of the residential building in the countryside is the only option available, it should not come at the expense of environment degradation. Government and dwellers should coordinate their efforts for building new properties while preserving the surrounding areas.

To conclude, Although development of new properties are crucial for accommodating population, preservation of environment is more critical for the sustainable development of the society as a whole.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You successfully present arguments for both sides before concluding with your own stance. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of economic growth and environmental conservation. However, some points could be developed further; for instance, the suggestion of using countryside land for 'amusement parks' as an alternative to housing is slightly underdeveloped and could be more clearly linked to the core issue of housing shortages. Overall, the response is focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Nevertheless', 'Apart from this', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the paragraphing is appropriate, though the introduction could be more concise by avoiding the meta-commentary 'In this paragraph, I shall elucidate...'. Overall, the logical flow is maintained throughout the response, making it easy to follow your line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'ecological stability', 'housing infrastructure', and 'sustainable development' show a good grasp of the subject matter. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'making it rich of natural resources' (should be 'rich in') and 'construction purposes' (which is slightly redundant). While you attempt to use less common items, the control is not always consistent. The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of your ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Building new homes become necessary', 'development of new properties are crucial') and minor prepositional errors. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. You show an ability to construct complex sentences, but the accuracy of these structures is inconsistent. To improve, focus on ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly, as these are the most frequent sources of error in your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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