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)

In some countries, it is often argued that while spending large amount of money on building new railways for introducing fast trains between cities is most important, others claim that it is better to improve the existing transport system. Although both views have valid arguments but I firmly believe that spending money on the existing public transport will be more beneficial.

In some countries a group of individuals think that a large amount of money should be spent on building new railway system for the purpose to install fast trains. Installing new trains will be more efficient because a large number of people face difficulties in daily travelling. For example in morning time students face difficulties to reach school on time and also because it is the waste of time. when a person waste two hours on travelling by installing new train it will save his time.

On the other hand, most of the people claims that spending money on the existing transport system will be far more better than installing new ones. Because this will require a small amount of money and in less time the project will be completed, because on the other hand building new railway system will require more time. For example if the current transport system in the city is improved and a large number buses are added to the current system it will be more convenient.

In conclusion, although some people believed that spending money on building new railway system is most important because it will save time during travelling, I believe that spending money on the existing transport system will be far more better because it will be completed in less time and will require less amount of money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the discussion and state a clear preference for improving existing public transport, especially in the introduction and conclusion. The points about saving commuters’ time and adding buses are relevant. However, the arguments are only briefly explained: the new-railway paragraph focuses mainly on students’ journeys, while the case for upgrading current services rests largely on lower cost and faster completion. The example about buses would be stronger if you explained how this would improve access, reliability, or capacity, and the comparison could consider who benefits from each option. Develop each view with a clearer chain of reasoning and support your opinion with more specific examples to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that restates your position. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. In the first body paragraph, “For example” introduces a point about students, but the following sentence shifts awkwardly to “when a person” and does not clearly explain how the new trains solve the problem. The repeated use of “because” also makes the reasoning feel loosely joined. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and make each paragraph progress from its main point to explanation and evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topic, with relevant terms such as “railway system,” “public transport,” “efficient,” and “convenient.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “spending money,” “building new railway system,” and “existing transport system.” Some word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “for the purpose to install,” “a large number buses,” and “far more better.” These choices sometimes make the reader pause, although the intended meaning is generally understandable. Build a wider set of transport-related expressions and check collocations and word forms. More precise terms such as “expand bus services” or “upgrade existing infrastructure” would help you express the comparison more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in the opening and conditional phrasing such as “if the current transport system … is improved.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur across the response. For example, “Although both views have valid arguments but” combines two contrasting structures; “most of the people claims” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “when a person waste two hours” has an incorrect verb form. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “building new railway system.” Sentence boundaries and capitalization need attention, particularly the lowercase “when” after a full stop. Practise accurate clause construction and proofread agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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