Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In a number of countries, some people think it is necessary to spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. Others believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.0)

In my opinion spending money on constructing railway lines is nt that much valuable because currently we are more focused on public transportation rather than on railway lines.Initially a lot of travelling was done thorugh railways but know people have more interest towards public transportation. Railways were beneficial at some points for example travelling to long distances they also have business call seatings or first class seatings then u can also travel economically, so this whole scenarios depends upon how much money do we have. Then there were also other facilities in railways for example food toilets etc.But one disadvantage is that it takes alot of time in travelling. So, while seeing these all circumstances i am not in favor of railway lines.Talking about public transportatin it should be encouraged and it is on peak know a days because of alot of facilities it has. We have differernt buses like electric buses, metro etc which are environment friendly. They also dont charge a high ticket fee which is good benefit for poor and middle class families while they are travelling. I also travel through electric buses. Government should spend money on public transportation,they should introduce more buses and start electric buses at routes where there is no source of public transportation for poor or neady people. It is good initiative for young learners, office going workers. They can know save alot of money while in elecric buses. My Own experience is very good regarding public transportation. They have separate sections for men and women they also have seats for handicapped and aged people. in addition to this they these buses have air conditioner in summers and heater in winters. Then we see a man in bus that takes money and give tickets. Bus is cleaned after every route. So, it gives people a good and fresh environment to start there journey. The price of the ticket is just 20-50PKR which is very reasonable for everyone as compare to the prices of the tickets at railway stations which are very high for example 2000PKR and then more than that also. So, according to me more money should be invested on public transportation rather than on railway lines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you favour improving public transport, and you give relevant reasons such as affordability, access for underserved routes, and benefits for commuters. The personal examples about electric buses, accessible seating and ticket prices help make your view concrete. However, the discussion of high-speed rail is limited: you mention long-distance travel and facilities, but do not explain the main case for building new fast lines, such as reducing journey times between cities or supporting regional connections. Some claims, including that rail tickets are very expensive, are asserted without much explanation. Develop both sides more evenly and make the comparison between new rail investment and upgrades to existing services more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a discernible overall direction, moving from railways to public transport and ending with your preference. Examples are grouped broadly by topic, and phrases such as “Talking about public transportation” signal a shift. However, the opening paragraph combines your opinion with several loosely connected points about rail travel, while the public-transport section accumulates many details without clear subordination. Linking phrases such as “Then,” “So,” and “in addition to this” are repetitive or do not always show the precise relationship between ideas. Use separate, clearly focused paragraphs for the two views and a conclusion, and connect each reason to its supporting example so the progression is easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “electric buses,” “environment friendly,” “handicapped,” and “ticket fee,” and your examples communicate the general subject. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or repetitive, such as repeated references to “facilities,” “good,” and “money.” Some word choices and collocations are awkward, including “business call seatings,” “on peak,” and “start their journey.” Spelling errors such as “thorugh,” “differernt,” and “neady” are noticeable and can distract the reader. Build a more precise transport-related vocabulary and check spelling; for example, describe services as “accessible” or “frequent” and explain whether fares are “affordable” rather than simply “good.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use basic linking structures, but sentence forms are often faulty, and errors sometimes make the reader pause. Examples include “They also dont charge a high ticket fee which is good benefit” and “They can know save alot of money,” where word order and sentence construction are problematic. There are also recurring issues with articles, agreement, and punctuation: “a man in bus that takes money and give tickets” needs clearer grammatical relationships, while several sentences run together without spaces after full stops or commas. Most structures are simple, and attempts to combine ideas are not consistently controlled. Practise accurate compound and complex sentences, checking verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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