IELTS · Guide 13 · 9 min read
IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answers: problem and solution essay on housing
An IELTS Task 2 problem and solution essay on housing costs for young adults, with answers at bands 8, 6.5 and 5 and commentary.
How to use this worked session
This page takes one problem and solution question and shows three answers at different levels, with comments on what lifted or limited each one. Write your own answer first in 40 minutes, aiming for at least 250 words, then compare.
The task
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In many large cities, young adults can no longer afford to rent or buy a home of their own.
What problems does this cause, and what measures could be taken to solve them?
Support your answer with reasons and relevant examples. Write at least 250 words.
What the question is really asking
- There are two questions: problems and measures. Both need roughly equal attention.
- The problems should come from unaffordable housing, not just describe it.
- The best answers match solutions to the problems they have described, so the essay reads as one argument rather than two lists.
Strong response (around band 8)
In many major cities, housing costs have risen far faster than wages, leaving a generation of young adults unable to find a home of their own. This trend creates serious difficulties for individuals and for cities as a whole, but there are practical steps that governments and employers could take to ease it. The most immediate problem is financial strain. When a large share of a young person's income goes on rent, little is left for saving, so the goal of buying a home moves steadily out of reach. Many respond by living with their parents well into their thirties or by sharing crowded flats, which can delay decisions such as starting a family. The effects also extend beyond individuals. Essential workers such as nurses, teachers and bus drivers are often on modest salaries, and if they cannot afford to live near their jobs, they either face exhausting commutes or leave the city altogether. Over time, this can leave hospitals and schools short of staff. Several measures could address these problems. The most fundamental is to increase the supply of homes, particularly by allowing more building on unused industrial land and above existing shops and stations. Governments could also require a proportion of every new development to be let at below-market rents, reserving some of these homes for key workers. In the shorter term, rules that limit sudden rent increases would give tenants greater security, although these need careful design so that landlords are not discouraged from letting property at all. Finally, large employers could play a part by offering housing support or by moving some roles to less expensive areas. In conclusion, unaffordable housing damages both young people's prospects and the wider functioning of cities. A combination of building more homes, protecting tenants and involving employers offers the most realistic route to a solution.
Commentary
- Task Response: Both questions are answered fully. The problems are traced as consequences (high rent leads to no savings, which pushes home ownership further away), and the second problem widens the view from individuals to whole cities. The solutions link back clearly: below-market homes "for key workers" answers the staffing problem directly. The writer also notes a weakness in one solution (rent controls), which shows careful thinking.
- Coherence and Cohesion: One paragraph for problems, one for solutions, each moving from the most important point to the least. Phrases such as "The effects also extend beyond individuals" and "In the shorter term" guide the reader smoothly. The conclusion summarises without repeating sentences.
- Lexical Resource: Precise topic language: "financial strain", "modest salaries", "below-market rents", "key workers", "tenants", "letting property". Collocations such as "ease" a trend and "play a part" are natural.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Conditionals, passives ("to be let"), participle clauses ("leaving a generation ...", "reserving some of these homes ...") and concession with "although" are all used accurately.
What kept it from the top band: the solutions paragraph is long and covers four measures; splitting it, or developing two measures in more depth, would make the argument even sharper.
Pass-level response (around band 6.5)
These days, in many big cities, young people cannot afford to rent or buy their own home because the prices are very high. This situation causes several problems, but there are also some solutions that can be taken. The first problem is that young people have to spend most of their salary on rent. As a result, they cannot save money for the future, for example to buy a house or to get married. Many of them have to live with their parents for a long time, and this can make them feel less independent. Another problem is that some young people move to other cities or towns where houses are cheaper. This means that the big cities may lose young and skilled workers, which is bad for the economy. There are some ways to solve these problems. Firstly, the government should build more cheap houses for young people. If there are more houses, the prices will go down because of the supply and demand. Secondly, the government can give loans with low interest to young people who wants to buy their first home. This would help them to pay the deposit, which is often the most difficult part. Finally, companies could help their employees by giving them extra money for accommodation, especially in expensive cities. In conclusion, high housing prices cause financial problems for young people and can also effect the economy of cities. However, I believe that if the government and companies work together, for example by building more houses and giving loans, this problem can be reduced.
Commentary
- Task Response: Both parts of the question are answered with relevant ideas, and the two problems are reasonable. The solutions are sensible but general; "build more cheap houses" does not say where or how, and the loans idea is not linked to either problem described earlier. "Solutions that can be taken" is an unnatural way to describe measures.
- Coherence and Cohesion: Clear paragraphs with a logical order. Linking is accurate but leans on "Firstly", "Secondly", "Finally". "However" at the start of the conclusion's second sentence suggests a contrast that is not there.
- Lexical Resource: Enough relevant vocabulary ("deposit", "accommodation", "skilled workers", "supply and demand"), though some phrases are general ("bad for the economy"). Errors: "the supply and demand" (no article needed) and "effect" for "affect".
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: A fair mix of conditionals, relative clauses and modal verbs, with most sentences correct. Slips such as "young people who wants" are noticeable but do not block meaning.
What would lift it: make each solution answer a named problem, add one concrete detail per solution, and check "affect/effect" and agreement after "who".
Weaker response (around band 5)
Nowadays house is very expensive in the big city and young people can not buy or rent house. This is big problem and in this essay I will write about the problems and the solutions. There are many problems. First problem is the young people are very sad because they don't have house. They must live with the parents and they have no privacy. Second problem is money. The rent is very high and they pay all salary for the rent, so they can not buy anything else. Also some people they live in very small room with many people and this is not healthy. Third problem is they can not marry because they have no house. The solution is the government must to help young people. The government must build many houses and give to young people with cheap price. Also the banks must give loan to young people. And the young people also must work hard and save money, they must not spend money for unnecessary things like expensive phone and clothes. If they save money, after some years they can buy house. Other solution is young people can live in village or small city. The house in village is very cheap and the life is more quiet and the air is clean. But the problem is there is not many jobs in village. In conclusion, the house is big problem for young people in big city. The government and the young people must work together to solve this problem.
Commentary
- Task Response: Both questions are addressed, and the essay reaches the word count. But the ideas are listed rather than explained: four problems in one paragraph, each in a sentence or two. The solution about saving money on phones and clothes does not engage with the scale of the problem, and the village idea is raised and then undermined in the next sentence without a conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion: The overall order (problems, then solutions) is clear. Within paragraphs, linking is limited to "First", "Second", "Also", "And". Repeated nouns ("house", "young people", "the government") are rarely replaced with pronouns.
- Lexical Resource: A small, repetitive vocabulary ("big problem" twice, "house" throughout). Errors include "with cheap price", "spend money for" and "more quiet". Meaning remains mostly clear.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Mostly simple sentences. Frequent errors with articles ("This is big problem", "live in village"), modal verbs ("must to help") and agreement ("there is not many jobs"), plus a doubled subject ("some people they live").
What would lift it: choose two problems and two solutions and explain each with a reason; fix articles before singular countable nouns; and use "they", "this" and "such homes" to avoid repeating nouns.
The three answers side by side
| Feature | Band 8 | Band 6.5 | Band 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both questions answered | Fully, with balance | Yes, solutions general | Yes, as lists |
| Problems linked to solutions | Clearly matched | Partly | Rarely |
| Linking | Smooth and varied | Clear, formulaic | Basic |
| Vocabulary | Precise topic terms | Adequate, a few errors | Repetitive, frequent errors |
| Grammar | Wide range, accurate | Mixed, noticeable slips | Mostly simple, many errors |
Self-check checklist
- Have I answered both questions with roughly equal space?
- Are my problems caused by the situation in the question, not just general complaints?
- Does each solution answer a problem I described?
- Have I explained how each solution would work, with one concrete detail?
- Did I develop two or three ideas rather than list five?
- Have I checked articles ("a big problem", "in a village") and modal verbs ("must help")?
- Have I checked commonly confused words such as "affect" and "effect"?
- Is my essay at least 250 words?
About the band levels
The band levels on this page are our own estimates for practice purposes. They are not official scores and are not produced or endorsed by any IELTS partner. Only a certified examiner marking a real test can give you an official band.