Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-08

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)

It is widely debated by several individuals that with the growing population more houses are needed to be constructed in the rural areas. However, others argue that countryside areas must be protected because of several reasons. From my perspective, both views need equal attention as they both are essential for a balance.

The most alarming concern is increasing population in urban areas. More people want to reside in metropolitan areas beyond their capacity. Due to this individuals are struggling to find an apartment for their living. In order to satisfy this fundamental human need more houses are required to expand the horizon of the cities and accommodate the locals. Outskirts of the city are accessible to do so which not only comes with low value but also easy to build. As they are away from busy city life which promotes faster development.

Conversely, construction in the countryside will not only eliminate the uniqueness of the area but will also affect the local citizens. This is evident in rural areas where local people are dependent on agricultural practises. By using this land for buildings, it will reduce the land for cultivation. This will affect the production which will eventually affect the food requirements in the country. Moreover, clearance of countryside land will also impact the green spaces and wildlife dependency on them. When there will be no plantation or forestation in the area, animals will look for food and living spaces which can be dangerous for human residency.

In conclusion, undoubtedly increasing population requires accommodation for their livelihood. However, disturbing rural vegetation can significantly impact the wildlife and food production. I personally believe instead of expanding residential areas to countryside, architects must consider building multi-storey buildings for local people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your response addresses the question and presents a clear, balanced position: you recognise the need for housing while arguing that countryside protection also matters, then recommend multi-storey buildings. The supporting points about agricultural land, food production, green spaces and wildlife are relevant. This meets the core requirements strongly, but the position is not fully consistent: the introduction says both views need “equal attention,” whereas the conclusion favours avoiding countryside development. Some points also need fuller explanation. For example, the claim that city outskirts are “easy to build” is asserted rather than supported, and the final recommendation could explain how it would meet housing demand. Clarifying your stance and developing these links would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the housing argument and the environmental concerns, and a conclusion. The progression from urban housing pressure to the costs of rural development is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Conversely,” “Moreover,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The sentence beginning “As they are away from busy city life” is a fragment and its relationship to the previous point is unclear. The shift from a balanced position in the introduction to a more definite preference in the conclusion also weakens the overall line of argument. Make these links explicit and use referencing carefully to strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “metropolitan areas,” “accommodate,” “cultivation,” “green spaces,” and “wildlife,” which allows you to discuss both housing and environmental effects. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “low value” for the cost of land, “expand the horizon of the cities,” and “wildlife dependency on them.” “Practises” is also the wrong spelling in this context; the noun is “practices.” These choices do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Aim for established collocations and check word forms and spelling, especially when using less familiar expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses introduced by “because,” “which,” and “when,” and most ideas remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist. “It is widely debated by several individuals that” is an awkward construction, while “As they are away from busy city life” is a sentence fragment. In “When there will be no plantation or forestation,” the future form is not appropriate after “when”; use a present form such as “When there is no vegetation.” The sentence beginning “Due to this individuals” also needs punctuation after the introductory phrase. These are generally local issues rather than barriers to meaning. Review clause completeness, conditional/time clauses, and punctuation to improve accuracy while retaining structural variety.

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