Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-16

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate regarding the need to build new homes along the countryside as it is the only space available. While others think that construction of new homes must be avoided in the countryside to protect the clean environment. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe it is important to preserve nature.

On the one hand, many people are moving to big cities to find empolyement opportunities, higher education and better lifestyle. This results in the majority of cities becoming overcrowded due to immense rise in the population. To accommodate the needs of population, many housing schemes are building new societies in the outkirts of these large cities. For example, to attract people, these housing societies offer facilities like schools, mini marts, clinics and other amenities. But these developments expand on nearby farms or orchards which are destroyed in the process. Moreover, in poorly developed cities new houses are built in an unplanned manner which leaves no space available for the future development. Additionally, people are also preferring to shift to rural areas in order to experience clean and organic lifestyle which is offering better health and wellbeing.

On the other hand, the countryside is calm with its serene environment, pure air and healthy lifestyle. There is plenty of land available for construction which is the main reason of attraction for people to start new societies in these places. Although these developments offer many benefits to people, it will bring in pollution and nosie too. Eventually, this will effect the countryside life resulting in the same fate as cities over the years.

In my opinion, high-rise buiding like apartments and penthouses must be encouraged to deal with the rising need of accommodation. This will occupy less space and house more families.

To conclude, countryside must be protected to preserve the nature. Governments and developers must plan and work together to ensure sufficient housing needs are fullfilled in the cities rather than in the countryside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task well, discussing both the pressures of urbanisation and the need to protect the countryside, while clearly stating the writer's position. The ideas are generally well developed and supported with examples, such as housing schemes offering local amenities and the impact on farms and orchards. However, the first body paragraph touches on a slightly contradictory mix of points, discussing urban migration, suburban sprawl, and people moving to rural areas for a better lifestyle, which slightly diffuses the main focus. Nevertheless, a clear position is maintained throughout, concluding with a sensible alternative solution involving high-rise buildings and coordinated planning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus moving from introduction, arguments for development and its effects, the counter-perspective on the countryside, a proposed solution, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and progression can occasionally feel a bit mechanical or abrupt. For example, the transition into the discussion of high-rise buildings in the fourth paragraph feels slightly disjointed from the preceding paragraph. Overall, the logical organization is clear enough to earn a solid score in this category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common lexical items such as 'accommodation', 'unplanned manner', 'serene environment', and 'amenities'. There are, however, a few spelling and word choice errors, such as 'empolyement' instead of 'employment', 'outkirts' instead of 'outskirts', 'nosie' instead of 'noise', and the misuse of 'effect' instead of 'affect'. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, and the range of vocabulary allows the writer to convey their ideas with reasonable precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional and relative clauses ('While others think that...', 'For example, to attract people, these housing societies offer...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. These include missing articles or preposition issues, such as 'along the countryside' instead of 'in the countryside', and tense or agreement slips like 'high-rise buiding' instead of 'high-rise buildings' and 'needs are fullfilled' instead of 'housing needs are fulfilled'. While these errors occur with some frequency, they do not impede overall understanding.

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