Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-13

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)

Today,transport is fundamental key in modern society as it allows residents to move from one place to another. The government should therefore focus on both public transport and railway transport. This essay will discuss obotj views.

Firstly,railway transport is faster compared to other means of transport. This is because it takes the shortest time to move from one place to anothet.For instance, a person can travel to another city using the shorttime possible compared to other means of transport.

Secondly,the use of trains is cheap.Railway transport is commonly used by public when the fuel prices increases.For example,a middled class person may not be able to afford the transport money if the fuel prices are increase due to high transport charges.

A further key is on traffic on the roads.Railway is the most convenient use,additionally ,it will reduce road congestion and overcrowding on the roads especially, after work most people will prefer the use of trains.

However,existing public transport should not be buried. The government should impove the construction of roads to reduce accidents. For instance,the traffic lights should br repaired accordingly to avoid confusion in towns.

Additionally,the potholes should be repaired and expansion of roads.Thus prevents overcrowding and and congestion. This is important because vehicles will have many alternative roafs to use and will eventually reduce traffics.For example, if thete are few roads in towns this means people will take much time on the roads.

In conclusion,railway transport is convenient, faster and cheap whereas putting more effort in existing public transport is also vital as its relable to many individuals.Therefore,the government should construct more railways lines without leaving public transport aside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both investment in new railways and improvements to existing transport, and your conclusion gives a clear preference for developing railways while not neglecting public transport. The points about faster journeys, affordability and reduced road congestion are relevant, as are the suggestions about repairing traffic lights and roads. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the railway examples repeat general claims rather than showing how high-speed links benefit travel between cities, and the road-improvement paragraph focuses mainly on roads rather than the wider existing public-transport system. Explain the benefits and limitations of each option more fully, then make your comparison and position consistent throughout to strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for railway benefits and existing infrastructure, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “However,” and “Additionally” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is often repetitive: several railway points are presented as separate claims without being clearly linked or developed, and the examples do not always add a distinct explanation. Some connections are also awkward, such as “Thus prevents overcrowding,” whose reference is unclear. Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main point, connect explanations directly to claims, and make references explicit. This would create a clearer overall progression rather than relying mainly on basic linking words.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant transport vocabulary, including “railway transport,” “road congestion,” “traffic lights,” and “overcrowding,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “the most convenient use,” “transport money,” and “should not be buried.” Spelling errors, including “impove,” “relable,” and “roafs,” also reduce accuracy. Repetition of “roads,” “transport,” and “congestion” limits flexibility. Build a more precise set of phrases for comparing transport investment, and check spelling and collocations carefully. For example, describe improving existing services as “upgrading the current public-transport network” rather than using an unclear expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including explanations with “because” and examples introduced by “For instance.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “Today, transport is fundamental key,” where an article is missing, and “when the fuel prices increases,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. The sentence “Additionally, the potholes should be repaired and expansion of roads” is incomplete, while “This is important because vehicles will have many alternative roads to use” does not clearly connect to the preceding idea. Improve control of articles, agreement, complete sentence structure and punctuation, then practise combining claims and explanations accurately.

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.