Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

A significant amount of people emphasizes on the fact that huge amount of funds should be utilized for upgrading railway lines for moder high tech trains from one city to another. While other party prefers renovating current transport infrastructure for the better accessibilty. Even though I'm drawn towards both point of views, I would rather choose a speedy railway network over the public transport upgradation.

Honestly, the developing countries are spending enormous sum of money on addind new buses, new tram services for intracity connectivity. There's not much attention towards replacing the old railway system, which is the case for my home country. We are still using same railway network that was inheritenced by the British. For instance, it takes 3 hours to cover a mere distance of 100 Km; that can be reduced significantly if there's new train systems like bullet trains. Also, going from one state to another requires at least 3 days of travel by road or train that can be reduced to 1 hour flight tume but its really expensive for most of the public. So, highly advance trains will influence the society more positively than the other option.

On the other hand, some cities have poor transportation system which demands to improve the public transport system. Those towns are in dire need of funds and attention for make their movement a lot easier. Spending a hefty amount of money on it, should be a priority number one for the local bodies rather than focusing on bringing in newer mode of transport.

I can conclude by saying that only a few exceptions might need funds for their public transport system, but majority cases do require a state of the art railway systems

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state a clear preference for investment in faster intercity rail, especially in the opening and conclusion. The examples about slow journeys on the existing railway and the cost of flights help explain why you favour high-speed trains. You also recognise that some towns need better local transport. However, the two positions are not developed equally: the case for improving public transport is brief and general, with little explanation of who would benefit or how. Your own position could also be qualified more clearly, since you acknowledge local needs but conclude that most cases require new railways. Develop the comparison with specific reasons and examples for both options to make the discussion more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting high-speed rail, a contrasting paragraph on local transport, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “For instance” help readers follow the main direction, and the central preference remains apparent. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement and shows some features of stronger progression. However, connections between ideas are occasionally abrupt: the discussion moves from intercity rail travel to the cost of flights without fully explaining the comparison. The second body paragraph is also much less developed, so the argument’s progression feels uneven. Use clearer links between each example and your claim, and build the two sides in more balanced paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “railway network,” “intracity connectivity,” “public transport system,” and “state of the art.” These choices make the subject clear, and you attempt some less common expressions such as “dire need” and “hefty amount.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “emphasizes on the fact,” “newer mode of transport,” and “highly advance trains.” Spelling errors such as “accessibilty,” “inheritenced,” and “tume” also reduce accuracy, although the intended meaning is generally recoverable. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; precise, conventional phrasing will make your argument sound more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concessive opening (“Even though…”) and a relative clause (“which is the case for my home country”). Most ideas remain understandable, and the response includes some sentence variety. However, some grammatical errors recur in articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction. For example, “huge amount of funds” needs an article or plural form, “both point of views” has a number error, and “for make their movement” uses an incorrect infinitive pattern. The sentence beginning “While other party…” is also a fragment rather than a complete clause. Review article use, singular/plural agreement, and clause boundaries, then proofread complex sentences to improve accuracy without avoiding them.

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