Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-11

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 4.0)

In countries, some people says that spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities.

Some people believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport.

Many people say that improve the public transport are good think and good choice very good step improve the public transport in cities and provide the best public transport improve buses helpful for the citizen.

Other people believe the improve spend money on the railway line for fast trains not bad choice but first improve public transport for citizen help spend money on railway line not good work spend a lot of the money.

My own opinion money should be spent on improving existing public transport not a waste money on the railway line not bad choice but slowly slowly improve the railway line but not spent a lot of money on railway lines my first choice improve the public transport.

In the past people are not uses trains more then people use buses i mean public transport.

Reason why are not money spent on railway line and spent on public transport.Many people says that trains tickets are very expensive poor people are not afford the tickets and spend money on the public transport.In the past people not travel in train most of the people travel in buses spend large money in public transport easy travel and free of cost for poor and old man people free travel and very help full for the citizen people ask improve the public transport very good choice my opinion improve public transport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear preference for improving existing public transport, especially in “My own opinion money should be spent on improving existing public transport.” You also mention both options and give relevant points about bus access and train-ticket costs. However, the discussion is minimal: the case for high-speed rail is not explained, and claims about buses being free or trains being unaffordable are not supported with a specific example or explanation. The response therefore addresses the task only in a limited way. It also contains 228 words, below the required 250; 36 words copied from the task prompt are excluded from that count. Develop each side with a reason and example, then explain more fully why your preferred option is better.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the opening introduces the two views, a later paragraph gives your opinion, and the final section offers reasons. Your preference is also repeated, so the reader can identify your position. However, ideas are not arranged in a clear progression, and several points run together in long, repetitive sequences, particularly the discussion of buses, poor people and free travel. Connections such as “Other people” and “Reason why” are used, but they do not consistently show how one point follows from another. Use separate paragraphs for the two views and your opinion, and build each paragraph around one main idea with a clear explanation and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

Your vocabulary is basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on “public transport,” “money,” “good choice” and “people.” These words communicate the general topic, but repeated phrases such as “improve the public transport” and “spend money on” make it difficult to express more precise comparisons. Some combinations are unclear or unnatural, including “good think” and “not a waste money.” You do attempt topic-related language such as “railway line,” “fast trains” and “tickets,” which gives the response a relevant foundation. To improve, learn a small set of accurate transport collocations and use them to explain benefits and drawbacks, such as service frequency, affordability, journey times and investment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The response relies mainly on short, simple statements, and frequent errors sometimes distort meaning. For example, “some people says that spend large sums” has problems with subject–verb agreement and the verb pattern, while “the improve public transport are good think” has errors in word form, agreement and sentence construction. Other examples include “people are not uses trains” and “poor people are not afford the tickets.” There is little evidence of controlled complex sentence structures, and punctuation does not reliably separate ideas, as in “Reason why are not money spent on railway line and spent on public transport.” Practise accurate present-tense sentences first, then join related ideas using because, although and while.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.