IELTS Cambridge 21: Tall Apartment Blocks

This is my IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay based on a recent Cambridge IELTS 21 book on the topic of tall apartment blocks.

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IELTS Essay: Tall Apartment Blocks

In large urban areas, some feel that providing enough homes is best accomplished by building tall apartment blocks.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Many people believe that constructing high-rise apartment buildings is the most effective method to solve housing shortages in major cities. While this approach is not suitable in every situation, I largely agree because it allows governments to house far more people efficiently while protecting valuable land.

The main advantage of tall apartment blocks is they maximize the use of limited urban space. In densely populated cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, land is scarce and prohibitively expensive, making entire houses unrealistic for most residents. For example, Singapore has built thousands of apartment towers that provide affordable homes for the majority of the country’s population. These developments also include supermarkets, schools, clinics, parks, and public transport links within walking distance, allowing millions of people to enjoy convenient city living without requiring endless suburban expansion.

Furthermore, concentrating housing vertically helps preserve surrounding farmland and natural environments. If cities instead spread outward through low-density housing, forests and agricultural land are often replaced by roads and housing estates. A clear example is Seoul, where clusters of modern apartment towers accommodate large numbers of residents close to subway lines and employment centres. This reduces commuting distances, limits traffic congestion, and leaves nearby mountains and protected green spaces largely untouched, creating a better balance between urban growth and environmental conservation.

Overall, I believe tall apartment buildings remain the best solution for providing enough homes in large cities because they use land efficiently while supporting sustainable urban development. Governments should prioritize high-density construction principles.

Analysis

1. Many people believe that constructing high-rise apartment buildings is the most effective method to solve housing shortages in major cities. 2. While this approach is not suitable in every situation, I largely agree because it allows governments to house far more people efficiently while protecting valuable land.

Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.

1. The main advantage of tall apartment blocks is they maximize the use of limited urban space. 2. In densely populated cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, land is scarce and prohibitively expensive, making entire houses unrealistic for most residents. 3. For example, Singapore has built thousands of apartment towers that provide affordable homes for the majority of the country’s population. 4. These developments also include supermarkets, schools, clinics, parks, and public transport links within walking distance, allowing millions of people to enjoy convenient city living without requiring endless suburban expansion.

Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
Explain your main idea.
Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
Keep developing it fully.

1. Furthermore, concentrating housing vertically helps preserve surrounding farmland and natural environments. 2. If cities instead spread outward through low-density housing, forests and agricultural land are often replaced by roads and housing estates. 3. A clear example is Seoul, where clusters of modern apartment towers accommodate large numbers of residents close to subway lines and employment centres. 4. This reduces commuting distances, limits traffic congestion, and leaves nearby mountains and protected green spaces largely untouched, creating a better balance between urban growth and environmental conservation.

Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
Explain your new main idea.
Include specific details and examples.
Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.

1. Overall, I believe tall apartment buildings remain the best solution for providing enough homes in large cities because they use land efficiently while supporting sustainable urban development. 2. Governments should prioritize high-density construction principles.

Summarise your main ideas.
Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Many people believe that constructing high-rise apartment buildings is the most effective method to solve housing shortages in major cities. While this approach is not suitable in every situation, I largely agree because it allows governments to house far more people efficiently while protecting valuable land.

The main advantage of tall apartment blocks is they maximize the use of limited urban space. In densely populated cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, land is scarce and prohibitively expensive, making entire houses unrealistic for most residents. For example, Singapore has built thousands of apartment towers that provide affordable homes for the majority of the country’s population. These developments also include supermarkets, schools, clinics, parks, and public transport links within walking distance, allowing millions of people to enjoy convenient city living without requiring endless suburban expansion.

Furthermore, concentrating housing vertically helps preserve surrounding farmland and natural environments. If cities instead spread outward through low-density housing, forests and agricultural land are often replaced by roads and housing estates. A clear example is Seoul, where clusters of modern apartment towers accommodate large numbers of residents close to subway lines and employment centres. This reduces commuting distances, limits traffic congestion, and leaves nearby mountains and protected green spaces largely untouched, creating a better balance between urban growth and environmental conservation.

Overall, I believe tall apartment buildings remain the best solution for providing enough homes in large cities because they use land efficiently while supporting sustainable urban development. Governments should prioritize high-density construction principles.

Answers

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

constructing high-rise apartment buildings

building tall residential towers
developing high-rise housing
erecting apartment blocks
constructing multi-storey residential buildings

the most effective method

the best way
the most practical solution
the most efficient approach
the optimal strategy

solve housing shortages

address the lack of housing
tackle housing shortages
ease the housing crisis
meet housing demand

major cities

large urban areas
metropolitan cities
densely populated cities
urban centres

not suitable in every situation

not appropriate in all cases
not the ideal solution everywhere
unsuitable under all circumstances
not universally applicable

house far more people efficiently

accommodate many more residents effectively
provide homes for a much larger population
maximize housing capacity
shelter significantly more people

protecting valuable land

preserving scarce land
conserving limited land resources
preventing unnecessary land use
safeguarding valuable space

maximize the use of limited urban space

make the best use of scarce city land
optimize limited urban land
use available city space efficiently
fully utilize restricted urban areas

densely populated cities

highly populated cities
heavily populated urban areas
crowded metropolitan areas
cities with high population density

land is scarce

available land is limited
there is little vacant land
land is in short supply
developable land is restricted

prohibitively expensive

extremely costly
unaffordable for most people
excessively expensive
very high-priced

provide affordable homes

offer reasonably priced housing
supply affordable accommodation
make housing accessible
deliver low-cost housing

the majority of the country’s population

most residents
the bulk of the population
the vast majority of citizens
most of the nation’s inhabitants

public transport links

public transportation networks
transit connections
transport infrastructure
mass transit systems

within walking distance

easily reached on foot
a short walk away
close by
conveniently accessible

convenient city living

a convenient urban lifestyle
comfortable urban living
easy access to city amenities
practical metropolitan living

endless suburban expansion

uncontrolled urban sprawl
continuous suburban growth
outward city expansion
sprawling suburbs

concentrating housing vertically

building upward rather than outward
increasing vertical development
developing high-rise housing
accommodating residents in taller buildings

preserve surrounding farmland

protect nearby agricultural land
conserve farmland
safeguard agricultural areas
prevent the loss of farmland

natural environments

natural habitats
the natural landscape
ecosystems
surrounding nature

low-density housing

detached housing developments
spread-out residential areas
sparsely developed housing
suburban housing

housing estates

residential developments
housing developments
residential neighbourhoods
suburban communities

accommodate large numbers of residents

house many people
provide homes for a large population
support a high population
contain thousands of residents

employment centres

business districts
commercial hubs
major workplaces
job centres

reduces commuting distances

shortens travel to work
cuts commuting times
decreases journey lengths
minimizes travel distances

limits traffic congestion

reduces traffic jams
eases road congestion
alleviates heavy traffic
decreases vehicle congestion

protected green spaces

conserved green areas
protected parks
preserved natural spaces
safeguarded open spaces

urban growth

city expansion
urban development
metropolitan growth
city development

environmental conservation

environmental protection
nature conservation
protecting the environment
ecological preservation

supporting sustainable urban development

promoting sustainable city growth
encouraging environmentally friendly urban development
fostering sustainable cities
facilitating long-term urban sustainability

prioritize high-density construction principles

give priority to high-density development
focus on compact urban planning
encourage dense residential construction
emphasize high-density housing policies

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:

constructing high-rise apartment buildings /kənˈstrʌktɪŋ ˌhaɪ ˈraɪz əˈpɑːtmənt ˈbɪldɪŋz/

the most effective method /ðə məʊst ɪˈfektɪv ˈmeθəd/

solve housing shortages /sɒlv ˈhaʊzɪŋ ˈʃɔːtɪdʒɪz/

major cities /ˈmeɪdʒə ˈsɪtiz/

not suitable in every situation /nɒt ˈsuːtəbl ɪn ˈevri ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/

house far more people efficiently /haʊz fɑː mɔː ˈpiːpl ɪˈfɪʃəntli/

protecting valuable land /prəˈtektɪŋ ˈvæljuəbl lænd/

maximize the use of limited urban space /ˈmæksɪmaɪz ðə juːs əv ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˈɜːbən speɪs/

densely populated cities /ˈdensli ˈpɒpjəleɪtɪd ˈsɪtiz/

land is scarce /lænd ɪz skeəs/

prohibitively expensive /prəˈhɪbətɪvli ɪkˈspensɪv/

provide affordable homes /prəˈvaɪd əˈfɔːdəbl həʊmz/

the majority of the country’s population /ðə məˈdʒɒrəti əv ðə ˈkʌntriz ˌpɒpjəˈleɪʃən/

public transport links /ˈpʌblɪk ˈtrænspɔːt lɪŋks/

within walking distance /wɪˈðɪn ˈwɔːkɪŋ ˈdɪstəns/

convenient city living /kənˈviːniənt ˈsɪti ˈlɪvɪŋ/

endless suburban expansion /ˈendləs səˈbɜːbən ɪkˈspænʃən/

concentrating housing vertically /ˈkɒnsntreɪtɪŋ ˈhaʊzɪŋ ˈvɜːtɪkli/

preserve surrounding farmland /prɪˈzɜːv səˈraʊndɪŋ ˈfɑːmlænd/

natural environments /ˈnætʃrəl ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts/

low-density housing /ˌləʊ ˈdensəti ˈhaʊzɪŋ/

housing estates /ˈhaʊzɪŋ ɪˈsteɪts/

accommodate large numbers of residents /əˈkɒmədeɪt lɑːdʒ ˈnʌmbəz əv ˈrezɪdənts/

employment centres /ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ˈsentəz/

reduces commuting distances /rɪˈdjuːsɪz kəˈmjuːtɪŋ ˈdɪstənsɪz/

limits traffic congestion /ˈlɪmɪts ˈtræfɪk kənˈdʒestʃən/

protected green spaces /prəˈtektɪd ɡriːn ˈspeɪsɪz/

urban growth /ˈɜːbən ɡrəʊθ/

environmental conservation /ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmentl ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən/

supporting sustainable urban development /səˈpɔːtɪŋ səˈsteɪnəbl ˈɜːbən dɪˈveləpmənt/

prioritize high-density construction principles /praɪˈɒrətaɪz ˌhaɪ ˈdensəti kənˈstrʌkʃən ˈprɪnsəplz/

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Many people believe that constructing _____________________ buildings is the most_________________________________________________________ cities. While_________________________ situation, I largely __________ because it allows governments to house ________________________ efficiently while protecting ____________ land.

The _______________________ of tall apartment blocks is they maximize ___________________________ space. In ____________ populated cities __________ as Hong Kong and Singapore, land is scarce and p______________ expensive, making entire ________________unrealistic for most __________s. For example, Singapore has built______________________ towers that provide_________________________________________________________________population. These developments also include supermarkets, schools, c_______s, parks, and public ________________________________________________ distance, allowing millions of people to enjoy _________________________________________________________ expansion.

Furthermore, concentrating housing vertically helps preserve __________________________________ environments. If cities instead spread_______________________ housing, forests and agricultural land are often replaced _______________________ estates. A clear example is Seoul, where c____s of modern apartment towers accommodate ________________________________________________________ employment centres. This reduces __________________ distances, limits _________ congestion, and leaves nearby mountains and protected ______________________ untouched, creating _______________________________________ conservation.

Overall, I believe tall apartment buildings remain_________________ for providing enough homes in large cities because they use l_________________________________________________________ development. Governments should prioritize ________________________ principles.