Cambridge IELTS 21 Test 1 Writing Task 2: Tall Apartment Blocks
Cambridge IELTS 21 · Test 1 · Academic Writing Task 2Opinion (agree or disagree)Society
The statement claims that building tall apartment blocks is the best way to provide enough homes in large cities. Candidates must say to what extent they agree or disagree, supporting their position with reasons and examples.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Write at least 250 words.
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How to read the question
- This is an opinion essay: To what extent do you agree or disagree requires a clear position in the introduction that stays the same through to the conclusion.
- The key words are the best way. Few people would deny that high-rise flats can add housing, so the real question is whether they are better than alternatives such as medium-density housing, converting empty buildings, expanding suburbs or controlling rents.
- Enough homes refers to quantity, but a strong answer can also question whether more homes automatically means affordable or liveable homes.
- The scope is large cities, so focus on urban problems such as land shortages, high prices and commuting rather than housing in general.
- A partial position works well, for example agreeing that tall blocks are an essential part of the answer while arguing that they are not the best solution on their own.
- Avoid drifting into a general essay on the advantages and disadvantages of city life or a purely descriptive comparison of houses and flats.
Suggested position
Although tall apartment blocks are an efficient way to house large numbers of people on scarce urban land, I only partly agree that they are the best way, because the housing shortage in big cities is as much about affordability and planning as about the number of buildings.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the statement that high-rise housing is the most effective response to housing shortages in big cities, then state a partial agreement: tall blocks are necessary but not sufficient on their own.
- 2
Body paragraph 1: why tall blocks help
Explain that land in large cities is scarce and expensive, so building upwards houses far more people per hectare, reduces urban sprawl and keeps residents close to jobs and public transport. Use Singapore's public housing as an example.
- 3
Body paragraph 2: why they are not the best way
Argue that luxury towers often do not solve affordability, that poorly designed estates can become isolating, and that mid-rise housing, converting empty offices and better transport links to smaller towns can provide homes more cheaply and humanely. Mention cities such as Paris and Barcelona that reach high density with mid-rise blocks.
- 4
Conclusion
Restate that tall blocks should be one part of a wider strategy that also controls costs, uses existing buildings and plans liveable neighbourhoods.
Ideas and arguments
- Building upwards makes the most of scarce and expensive urban land, housing hundreds of families on the plot that might hold a few houses.
- High-density housing keeps people close to jobs and public transport, reducing long commutes and car use.
- Concentrating homes limits urban sprawl and protects green belts and farmland on the edge of cities.
- Singapore houses most of its population in high-rise public flats, showing that tall blocks can provide homes on a large scale.
- Many new towers are luxury flats bought as investments, so they add homes without making housing affordable for ordinary residents.
- Poorly maintained high-rise estates can suffer from social isolation, crime and safety problems, as fires in tower blocks have shown.
- Mid-rise blocks of five to eight storeys, as in central Paris or Barcelona, can achieve high density while remaining more pleasant and cheaper to maintain.
- Converting empty offices and shops, taxing empty homes and improving transport to nearby towns can increase the housing supply without new towers.
Band 8+ model answer
309 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
As populations in major cities continue to grow, many people believe that constructing high-rise apartment blocks is the most effective way to house everyone. Although tall buildings are an efficient use of scarce urban land, I only partly agree with this view, because the housing crisis in big cities is as much about affordability and planning as about the number of homes.
Admittedly, building upwards has clear advantages. Land in city centres is limited and extremely expensive, so a single tower can accommodate hundreds of households on a plot that might otherwise hold only a handful of houses. High-density housing also allows residents to live close to their workplaces and to public transport, which shortens commutes and reduces car use. Furthermore, by concentrating people in a smaller area, cities can limit urban sprawl and protect the countryside around them. Singapore, where most citizens live in high-rise public flats, shows how successfully this approach can work on a large scale.
However, tall blocks are not necessarily the best solution. Many of the towers built in cities such as London are luxury flats bought as investments, so they increase the number of homes without making housing any more affordable for teachers, nurses or young families. Moreover, poorly designed and badly maintained estates can become isolating places with few shared spaces. Alternatives can often achieve similar results more humanely: central Paris and Barcelona house very large numbers of people in mid-rise buildings of six or seven storeys, while converting empty offices and taxing vacant properties can release homes without any new construction.
In conclusion, while tall apartment blocks have an important role to play, I do not believe they are the best way to solve urban housing shortages on their own. They should form one part of a wider strategy that also controls costs and creates neighbourhoods where people want to live.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Response
- The answer takes a clear partial-agreement position, explains why tall blocks are useful and why they are not the best solution on their own, supports both points with specific examples, and keeps the same position in the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Each body paragraph develops one central idea with a clear topic sentence, and ideas are linked with devices such as admittedly, furthermore, however and moreover, along with referencing like this approach.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise collocations such as scarce urban land, urban sprawl, affordable housing and mid-rise blocks are used naturally, and key words from the question are paraphrased rather than repeated.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The essay uses concessive clauses, conditionals, relative clauses and passive forms accurately, with a variety of sentence lengths and no noticeable errors.
Useful vocabulary
- housing shortage
- a situation in which there are not enough homes for the people who need them
- high-rise
- a tall building with many floors
- population density
- the number of people living in a particular area
- urban sprawl
- the uncontrolled spread of a city into the surrounding countryside
- scarce land
- land that is limited and therefore expensive
- affordable housing
- homes that people on average or low incomes can pay for
- mid-rise
- of medium height, usually about four to eight storeys
- residential
- used for people to live in
- green belt
- protected open land around a city where building is restricted
- social isolation
- a lack of contact with other people
- repurpose
- change a building so that it can be used for something new
- infrastructure
- basic systems such as roads, transport, water and power
- liveable
- pleasant and suitable to live in
- a piecemeal solution
- a partial answer that deals with only one part of a problem
Common mistakes
- Ignoring the words the best way and simply listing the benefits of tall buildings, without comparing them with any alternative.
- Writing a general essay about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a flat rather than addressing the housing shortage in large cities.
- Sitting on the fence by presenting both sides without stating how far you agree, which limits the Task Response score.
- Using invented statistics, such as 80% of people prefer houses, instead of credible examples.
- Changing position between the introduction and the conclusion.
- Repeating tall apartment blocks many times instead of paraphrasing with high-rise flats, tower blocks or vertical housing.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This question about whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide homes in large cities is Writing Task 2 of Test 1 in Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic.
- Can I partly agree with this statement?
- Yes. A partly agree position is effective here, as long as you state it clearly in the introduction, explain which part you accept and which you reject, and keep it consistent.
- What alternatives to tall apartment blocks can I mention?
- Useful alternatives include mid-rise housing, converting empty offices into homes, building affordable or public housing, and improving transport so people can live in nearby towns.
- How many words should I write for this Task 2?
- Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is usually enough to develop two body paragraphs fully in 40 minutes.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.