Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-08

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 5.5)

In different countries peoples have different opinons, some support the construction of fast train's railway tracks while other believe existing public transport should be upgraded. In my views, both of these arguments are authenticly right but there are some technical with the upgradation of existing public transpport's infrastructure.

Almost every country nowadays have fast train railway tracks which are extremly benificial for the public which moves around the cities with long distances. Cities today have spread across huge areas which genenrates difficulties for it's resedents in accessing muntiple parts of city. Such issues are faced by students and workers on daily basis. In many countries, like Japan, a huge number of public travels using fast trains which is developed like a web touching and accessing every area of city. These types of facilities are easy to access and can be used by everyone.

On the other hand, a part of public still belives that investing on existing public transport and it's upgradation can bring more quality life to citizens. This idea is influencial but would outdate itself infront of fast train ideas. The major drawback, includes lack of space as compared to the train. Speed can also be a important factor as busses in public transport can reach upto 120 kilometres per hour while the fast trains can do 200 to 250 kilometres in an hour.

It is normal about these contradicting believes emerging in a society, everyone is different with his choices and prefrences. In conslusion, I value the investment and development being done for fast trains. With the growing polulation and fast pased world, ideas of fast trains is totally worth it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both proposed approaches and state a preference for fast trains in the introduction and conclusion, so the response addresses the main parts of the task. The fast-train case includes relevant points about long distances and access for students and workers, with Japan as an example. However, the comparison is not fully developed: the case for improving existing transport is presented mainly as a belief, then dismissed as likely to become outdated. The claim that buses can reach 120 km/h while trains travel at 200–250 km/h does not clearly explain why upgrading existing services is less worthwhile, and the figures need context. Develop the benefits of improving current buses or local services, then weigh these against the advantages of new rail lines.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion, and the main position is identifiable. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes uneven. For example, the paragraph supporting fast trains moves from urban expansion to daily travel needs and then to Japan, without clearly explaining how the example demonstrates a network connecting city areas. The final paragraph repeats the preference rather than drawing together the comparison. Some references, including “This idea” and “these contradicting believes,” are not fully precise. Make each paragraph develop one central point in a clear sequence and use linking phrases to show the relationship between evidence and claims.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “construction,” “infrastructure,” “upgradation,” and “drawback,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. There is some range beyond basic transport terms. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable, for example “opinons,” “benificial,” “resedents,” and “polulation.” Several combinations are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “public travels,” “bring more quality life,” and “ideas of fast trains.” These choices sometimes make the argument harder to interpret, particularly when discussing the benefits of existing transport. Focus on accurate spelling and natural collocations, and choose precise terms such as “passengers,” “improve quality of life,” and “high-speed rail investment.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which moves around the cities” and a contrast introduced by “while.” This shows an attempt to vary sentence structure. However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Examples include “Almost every country nowadays have,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “a important factor,” where the article is incorrect. There are also problems with sentence construction and punctuation, such as the comma after “The major drawback” and the unclear opening sentence, which joins several ideas with commas. Practise checking agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, and build complex sentences around one clear main clause.

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