Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-10

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 many sides of the world , more and more people claim that it is an obligation to put a wide amount of money on building new railway to have a quick trains between cities. others say that the money should be spent on developping the public transport that is already existed . this essay will will discuss both perspectives before presenting my opinion .

On the one hand , people who believe that it is necessary to invist money on new lines of transports . in fact, there is a huge increase in the population nowadys and it is a must to find solution for citizens .in addition, people have low variety of lines choices to travel between the cities especially for people with midum income .for example, individuals who work everyday they may do not find a place in the public transport and this leads them to stop working and studying .Therefore, the goverments need to create new line to reduce the stuggeuls .

One the other hand , citizens who think the state should spent money on existing public transport . In other words, fixing the old transport is somthing we should focus on the keep the public safe and relaxed .

from my perspective , i believe that spending money on exicting trasport is a waste of money and time , therefore it is important to constructing new railways to gain time .

to sum up, although fixing existing public transport has some benifits for the public but creating new ones it much more crucial.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both sides and state a clear preference for constructing new railways, particularly in “from my perspective” and the conclusion. However, the discussion is only partial: the case for new lines is supported mainly by population growth and limited travel choices, while the opposing view is reduced to a brief point about safety and comfort. The claim that improving existing transport is “a waste of money and time” is asserted rather than explained, and the example about workers being unable to find a place does not clearly show why new high-speed rail is the solution. Develop each view with a specific reason and relevant example, and explain more fully why your preferred investment is better.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, your opinion, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “to sum up” help readers follow the basic structure. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and the opposing view is too brief to form a balanced discussion. Some links are mechanical or do not show the relationship between ideas clearly; for example, “Therefore” follows a claim about people stopping work or study without a fully explained connection. The opinion paragraph also repeats the preference already stated in the introduction. Build clearer links between each reason and its consequence, and integrate your opinion into the discussion before summarising it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “population,” “public transport,” “cities,” and “railways,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate word choices or collocations make parts difficult to interpret, such as “a wide amount of money,” “low variety of lines choices,” and “new line to reduce the stuggeuls.” Spelling errors, including “goverments” and “benifits,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise transport and investment vocabulary, and check spelling and word forms carefully. For instance, use “a substantial investment,” “limited route options,” and “reduce overcrowding” to express the intended ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use clauses to explain reasons, as in “there is a huge increase in the population nowadys and it is a must to find solution for citizens.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and attempts at complex sentences often contain errors that make the meaning harder to follow. Examples include “people who believe that it is necessary to invist money on new lines of transports” as a sentence fragment, “the state should spent money,” and “it is important to constructing new railways.” There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. Practise building complete sentences with accurate verb forms, such as “the state should spend” and “it is important to construct,” then proofread punctuation and capitalisation.

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