Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

There is an ongoing debate regarding the need to build new homes in 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 empolyment opportunities, higher education and better lifestyle. This results in the majority of cities becoming overcrowded due to an 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 affect the countryside life resulting in the same fate as cities over the years.

In my opinion, high-rise buidings 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, the 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 by discussing both perspectives regarding building in the countryside and clearly stating a personal opinion. The writer develops ideas well, such as explaining how cities become overcrowded and how rural housing developments destroy farms and orchards, while proposing high-rise buildings as an alternative solution. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, some arguments could be extended further with deeper analysis to reach the higher bands. Overall, the task is answered effectively, earning a band score of 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are grouped into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing different sides, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes slightly mechanical, and sentence connectivity could be smoother in places, which places the response solidly at a band 6.5 or 7.0. On balance, the clear paragraphing and logical flow support a band 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'serene environment', 'unplanned manner', and 'accommodation'. There are some noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'empolyment' instead of 'employment', 'outkirts' instead of 'outskirts', 'nosie' instead of 'noise', and 'buidings' instead of 'buildings'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the score from rising into the higher band thresholds. The lexical control is characteristic of a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or participial clauses like 'While others think that construction...'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, such as sentence fragments ('While others think that construction of new homes must be avoided in the countryside to protect the clean environment.') and minor preposition or article issues. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded. This demonstrates the control typical of a band 6.0.

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

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