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)

The idea of constructing the new railway lines have been in consideration for very long among multiple countries and it is under great observation that the large amount of money should be spend to construct fast trains track to connect various cities. However, there are suggestions that the money should be spend to improve the existing public transport.

The idea of increasing the new railway lines is of significant importance; however, this require a very large sum of money as the growing prices of steel and iron that are use to construct railway lines, but new railway lines are the need of raising population as the number of people increase day by day whereas, the number of trains have not been increased since past few decades. The fast trains are useful mean of transportation one can get easily from one city to another city or from one country to another as well in just few hours by train such as in Europe one can get from Italy to Switzerland just in 50 minutes on a train as compared; to flights that take long waiting hours at airport and much longer journey so, building new tracks and adding more trains would be a wonderful contribution.

Whereas by other idea that encourge to spend money on improving the existing public transport is also a great idea as the buses and trains need to be upgrade in some of the regions and some of the routes are busier than before so increase number of buses and trains are required to accommodate raising population.

In conclusion, the governments should spend money on the installation of new railway tracks to connect diffferent destination and make travelling easier and comfortable. However some amount of money should also be spent on improving the existing transportation as it is also significantly important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and give a clear preference in the conclusion: governments should build new railway tracks, while also allocating some money to existing transport. Relevant support includes population growth, the need for more trains, and the convenience of rail travel, with the Italy–Switzerland example. However, the two views are not developed equally: the case for new lines receives more explanation, while improvements to existing buses and trains are described briefly and generally. The comparison with flights also focuses on convenience rather than explaining broader benefits or costs. To strengthen the response, develop the second view with a specific example and explain more directly why your preferred investment should take priority.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion that restates your position. This makes the main line of argument understandable. You also use linking expressions such as “However,” “Whereas,” and “In conclusion.” At times, though, these links feel mechanical or do not clearly express the relationship between ideas; the paragraph beginning “Whereas by other idea” is particularly awkward. The second paragraph also contains several ideas joined into one long sentence, so the progression is harder to follow. Use clearer topic sentences and divide long explanations into shorter units, with explicit links showing cause, contrast, or example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of transport vocabulary, including “railway lines,” “public transport,” “accommodate,” and “population,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “large sum of money” and “routes are busier.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “increasing the new railway lines,” “wonderful contribution,” and “raising population.” Spelling errors such as “encourge” and “diffferent” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise, conventional expressions and check spelling carefully; for example, describe building additional lines, expanding capacity, or meeting growing demand rather than relying on broad or informal wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “as,” “whereas,” and “that,” and your main points remain understandable. However, control is uneven, especially in longer sentences, where several grammatical problems accumulate. Examples include “the idea … have been” (subject–verb agreement), “should be spend” (verb form), and “this require” (agreement). The sentence beginning “The fast trains are useful mean” also has article and sentence-structure problems, while punctuation around “as compared; to flights” is inaccurate. Break complex ideas into shorter sentences and check agreement, verb forms, articles, and punctuation systematically. This would make your meaning clearer and show more reliable control.

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