Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In many countries, some people argue that it is valuable to spend a lot of money constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. Others believe that the money should be spent on upgrading existing public transport. In my opinion, striking a balance between construction and improving existing public transport would be beneficial to all citizens in different parts of the country.

on the one hand , constructing new railway lines between major cities would benefit many farmers especially those that have plentyiful supply of perishable goods. Their goods would be easily transported to different cities without them becoming stale. For instance, a farmer who has tomatoes and needs to transport them to different big towns, may sometimes experience transportation delays which may lead to deterioration of tomatoes. Therefore, construction of new railway lines will help them transport their tomatoes within few hours ultimately leading to more sales. These sales can positively impact their living starndards because they may have a lot of money.

On the other hand, improving existing public transport may easen traffic congestion. When roads are well maintained, vehicles move faster because most road accidents are caused by roads with potholes and less traffic signs. For instance , private users who love the comfort of their cars may not be interested in using railway as a mode of transport.If these can be looked upon, many road users will find it easier to navigate through congestion. As a result, upgrading public transportation will assist people who do not use railways .

In conclusion, both railways and maintaining existing public transport will be beneficial for farmers transport their goods and also help private road users. Therefore, striking a balance between both will be a better deal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both proposed uses of public money and state a clear position: “striking a balance” would benefit citizens. The examples about transporting perishable tomatoes and improving roads are relevant, so the response addresses the main parts of the question. However, the discussion is uneven and some reasoning is under-developed. The railway paragraph focuses on farmers and goods, without explaining the wider benefits or costs of very fast intercity passenger trains. The second paragraph shifts from public transport to road maintenance and private car users, so it does not clearly show how upgrading existing public transport would help them. Develop each side directly and explain why your balanced position is preferable. The stated length requirement is met.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the main stages easy to follow, and the examples generally appear beside the ideas they support. Some links between claims are less clear, however. In the second body paragraph, the move from better-maintained roads to upgrading public transport is not fully explained, and “If these can be looked upon” has an unclear reference. The conclusion repeats the balance position but does not bring the two arguments together precisely. Use clearer references and connect each example explicitly to the transport investment being discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “railway lines,” “perishable goods,” “traffic congestion,” and “road accidents.” There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “deterioration” and “living standards.” However, several word choices, collocations, and spelling errors reduce precision: “plentyiful supply,” “easen traffic congestion,” and “living starndards” are inaccurate, while “a lot of money” and “big towns” are rather general. Some expressions, such as “a better deal,” are informal for this essay. Aim for accurate transport-related collocations and check spelling; more precise vocabulary would make the argument clearer and more academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a farmer who has tomatoes” and a conditional structure beginning “If these can be looked upon.” Most of the main meaning remains understandable, but there are recurring errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For example, “a farmer who has tomatoes and needs to transport them … may sometimes experience” is interrupted by unnecessary commas, and “within few hours” is missing an article. The conclusion’s “beneficial for farmers transport their goods” lacks a grammatical link between “farmers” and “transport.” Review sentence boundaries and article use, and make sure each clause has a clear subject and verb. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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