Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - IELTS Writing Task 2

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

10 min read

Updated On Jul 10, 2025

Examine the IELTS discussion essay, ‘Some people think that it is best to live in a horizontal city, while others think of a vertical city’, using the provided sample answers & vocabulary. Learn how to provide well-rounded views in your essay for band 7+.

Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City IELTS Writing Task 2

Essay Question for Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City
Outline for IELTS Discussion Essay
Sample Answers for Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City IELTS Writing Task 2
Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - IELTS Writing Task 2

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One major debate in modern urban development is whether cities should expand horizontally, with low-rise buildings and wider layouts, or vertically, with high-rise apartments and compact infrastructure. This dilemma is often tested in IELTS Writing Task 2 through discussion essays, like ‘Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City IELTS Writing Task 2’.

In this article, we examine sample answers for the IELTS discussion essay on the topic ‘Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City’, along with an outline and relevant vocabulary to help you craft a well-structured Band 7+ discussion essay.

Before diving into the given IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answers, know the secret 9 expert tips to score a band 8+ in the video below!

Essay Question for Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that it is best to live in a horizontal city while others think of a vertical city. Discuss both views & give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Outline for IELTS Discussion Essay

For an IELTS discussion essay with opinion, you have to discuss both perspectives and clearly present your own view. Given below is the outline that will help you to understand how to write an IELTS discussion essay with opinion, like ‘Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City’.

Introduction (40–50 words)
- Paraphrase the given statement using your own words.
- Briefly mention both views without explaining them.
- Clearly state your own opinion in one sentence.
Body Paragraph 1 – First Viewpoint (70–90 words)
- Present the first viewpoint (e.g., benefits of horizontal cities).
- Provide reasons and examples to support it.
- Use topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., green space, accessibility, safety).
- Avoid stating your personal opinion here; remain objective.
Body Paragraph 2 – Second Viewpoint (70–90 words)
- Present the second viewpoint (e.g., benefits of vertical cities).
- Provide reasons and real-world support (e.g., land scarcity, population density).
- You may also acknowledge drawbacks, but keep the tone balanced.
- Link the ideas clearly using logical connectors.
Your Opinion (Can Be Combined with Conclusion)
- You can integrate your opinion into one of the body paragraphs or write a separate short paragraph (if your opinion involves a middle ground).
- Make sure your stance is clearly justified with logical reasoning and evidence.
- Do not contradict your earlier paragraphs.
Conclusion (30–40 words)
- Summarise both views in one sentence.
- Reaffirm your opinion using different wording from the introduction.
- Avoid adding new ideas or examples.

Sample Answers for Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City IELTS Writing Task 2

Now let us go through the three IELTS Band 9 essay samples on the IELTS Writing Task 2 topic, 'Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City' that will guide you to achieve a band 8+ on the writing module.

Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - Sample Answer 1

Some people believe that living in a horizontal city is the best, while opponents of this idea prefer to settle in a vertical city. While there are benefits to residents who dwell in a city that consists of low-rise construction, I would argue that cities with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings offer more advantages.

On the one hand, it is beneficial for residents to live in a horizontal city based on a few financial and security reasons. Firstly, people have to pay less for building services. If residents settle in a private house, they may save a great deal of money since they won’t have to pay for building services. Secondly, living lower to the ground is safer for inhabitants when emergencies occur. For example, if a fire starts in the home, they can quickly escape from the dangerous areas because the building is not too high off the ground and it won’t take much time to leave.

On the other hand, it seems to me that living in a vertical city is the best choice. A city with skyscrapers will have more space for public usage because there will be less land used for residential areas due to the number of people who can live in high buildings. As a result, the government would be able to use this land to build hospitals, schools or places for entertainment. Furthermore, it is much more convenient for residents to live in an apartment in a tall building that offers a wide range of goods and services, thanks to shopping malls and service centres on lower floors.

In conclusion, while living in a horizontal city does have some benefits, it seems to me that the advantages of living in a city with skyscrapers makes living in a vertical city the better choice.

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Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - Sample Answer 2

In today’s rapidly urbanising world, the design of cities has become a pressing concern. While some believe that horizontal cities—those that expand outward with low-rise buildings—are more livable, others argue in favour of vertical cities with towering residential and commercial blocks. This essay will discuss both viewpoints before presenting my own opinion in favour of vertical development.

Supporters of horizontal cities claim they offer a more relaxed and spacious lifestyle. Such cities often include more green space, recreational areas, and are seen as ideal for families who want to settle in a quiet, suburban environment. These areas are also considered much more convenient for the elderly and people with mobility issues due to the ease of accessibility and lower building structures. Moreover, some argue that horizontal cities offer better security during emergencies like fires or earthquakes, as evacuation is simpler and faster.

On the other hand, vertical cities are regarded as more sustainable and efficient, especially in areas experiencing land scarcity and urban sprawl. Thanks to advancements in construction and safety systems, high-rise buildings can accommodate thousands of people on limited land while conserving space for other urban necessities. From a financial and security perspective, vertical housing can be more affordable and better monitored through technology. Opponents of this idea argue that high-density living can cause stress and reduce privacy, but with proper design, these challenges can be mitigated.

In conclusion, I think the vertical city model is the future of urban living. Population growth and limited land availability make vertical development a practical and scalable solution for modern cities.

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Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - Sample Answer 3

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A section of society considers living in the horizontal city as the most optimum option to live in, while other strata think dwelling in the vertical city is the best. This essay shall be inferring both sides of the argument, and reason how the latter way is better in the current times.

A horizontal city as such gives one a copious amount of space to live in as they are often established in scantly populated areas. People often argue that such a setup provides them with substantial privacy and less of a conundrum that is caused otherwise. Pet lovers and farm owners obdurately stick to live in the colossal mansions and subsets of the rural and semiurban regions. Also, in the state of natural calamities, it is safer to vacate such houses with a lesser risk of fatalities.

In contrast, a sizeable school of thought champions the need and preference to be living in vertical cities as that provides a much wider scope to adjust and customize the booming population nowadays. People from rural and remote areas often migrate towards metros to seek employment as they don’t find many of the options in their localities. For instance, the ghost villages of Uttarakhand were dilapidated long ago just because of the natives migrating towards the metropolitan cities to look for a job and survival. In such circumstances, it is unpragmatic and impractical to live and even think of residing in horizontal homes. Moreover, vertical cities greatly suffice and adapt to the requirements of the general public as these skyscrapers also consist of shopping compounds on the lower floors and hence are very well adapted to manage the space crisis in densely populated areas.

All in all, it could be concluded that living in horizontal cities to some extent could be an option, but inclining towards multi-storeyed buildings and vertical cities is the undeniable requirement of today’s time, and hence, going by the vertical setups is more preferred.

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Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City - IELTS Writing Task 2

Below are some key IELTS vocabulary related to the topic, ‘Some People Think that it is Best to Live in a Horizontal City while Others Think of a Vertical City’. These can help you when framing your answer for this or related topics.

Word / Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
Opponents	people who disagree with a policy, idea, or trend	The opponents of this idea argue that vertical cities increase mental stress and limit personal space.
To settle in	to decide to live permanently in a particular place	Many young families choose to settle in horizontal cities for a quieter and more open environment.
Financial and security reasons	‘Financial’ refers to money-related matters; ‘security’ refers to safety from crime or emergencies	People prefer vertical buildings for financial and security reasons, especially in central business zones.
Much more convenient for	significantly easier or more suitable for someone or something	It is much more convenient for office workers to live in vertical cities near their workplace.
Thanks to (something)	used to show that something good happened due to a specific cause	Thanks to smart planning, modern skyscrapers now include retail, residential, and green spaces.
Urban sprawl	the spread of city buildings and houses into areas that used to be countryside	Horizontal development can lead to excessive urban sprawl and traffic congestion.
Infrastructure strain	pressure on public systems like roads, water, electricity due to overuse	Vertical cities help reduce infrastructure strain by consolidating amenities in compact areas.
Land scarcity	a shortage or limited availability of usable land	Vertical buildings are a solution to land scarcity in overcrowded cities.
Accessibility	the quality of being easy to approach, reach, or use	Ground-level buildings in horizontal cities often provide better accessibility for the elderly.
High-density living	accommodating many people in a limited space, usually in tall buildings	High-density living helps manage the population surge in modern cities.
Green space	open areas with grass, trees, or plants in an urban setting	Horizontal cities tend to preserve more green space compared to vertical ones.
Copious	abundant in supply or quantity	Horizontal living offers copious amounts of space for gardening, pets, and outdoor activities.
Scantly populated	sparsely inhabited or with few residents	Horizontal cities are often found in scantly populated rural or suburban regions.
Conundrum	a confusing and difficult problem or question	Urban planning faces the conundrum of balancing space, affordability, and sustainability.
Obdurately	stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or action	Some pet lovers obdurately choose large farmhouses despite rising maintenance costs.
Colossal	extremely large or great	Many dream of living in a colossal mansion, but it's not always practical in urban areas.
Natural calamities	severe natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, etc.	Horizontal houses are often safer to evacuate during natural calamities like earthquakes.
Sizeable	fairly large or significant in size	A sizeable population shift has occurred from villages to vertical urban centres.
Unpragmatic	not sensible or realistic; lacking practical consideration	Building low-rise homes in metro cities is unpragmatic due to high population density.
Dilapidated	in a state of disrepair or ruin due to age or neglect	Many horizontal houses in the village became dilapidated after years of migration.
Multi-storeyed	a building having more than one level or floor	Multi-storeyed apartments offer compact living with vertical convenience.
Undeniable	unable to be disputed or denied	It is undeniable that vertical cities make efficient use of limited space.
Inclining towards	showing a preference or tendency in a particular direction	More city planners are inclining towards vertical development for long-term sustainability.

To conclude, as you have gone through the sample answers, you have an idea that, for IELTS Writing Task 2, it is essential to present a balanced discussion, support your opinion with strong examples, and use topic-specific vocabulary to convey your ideas effectively. Mastering this structure and language can significantly enhance your writing score and help you confidently tackle a wide range of common IELTS essay topics for Writing Task 2.

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