Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
Most countries around the globe assumes building of new railway by investing tons of money is important for rapid transportation between cities whereas other says the capital should be used on improvising existing transportation system.
In my perspective, it mostly depends on the situation considering all the possible factor whether is it benficial constructing the new railway stations or maintaining the old ones.
On one hand, building train stations is a work for development, it is one of the infrastructure whivh plays vital role in changing the situation of the country. We can take Nepal for example, it is in desperate need of a new railway. The travelling can take upto 42 hours in some cases that too within Nepal. So to reconsider the time of publics, creating a railway can be highly advantageous for both country's prosperity and local convinience. Trains are not only used for travelling, it helps in generating new technologies and innovation between new minds as it can work as a base itself.
However, in the country like Japan and UK, it's not a compulsion to construct a new railway lines. The existing one are enough and if the government focuses on maintaining and renovating it timely, it will bw more than enough for atleat a half century. Building a new railway track is not only about spending a capital, it also affects other factors such as environment and a space that would be taken away which else would be utilized for different purposes.
In conclusion, develpment not only means building a complete new structure but it can also be uplifting what's already there. We are at that stage where every irrational step we take can cost our future. So, we should be very mindgul about what actions are we taking in the name of modernization. Only the necessity should be focused rather than just running behind numbers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address both views and give a qualified opinion: whether new railways or upgrades are preferable “mostly depends on the situation.” The Nepal example supports the case for new infrastructure, while Japan and the UK illustrate why maintaining existing lines may be sufficient; your conclusion reinforces the need to prioritise genuine necessity. This covers the task well, but the position could be clearer and more consistent: the opening says the decision depends on circumstances, while the conclusion mainly warns against new construction. Some supporting points also need fuller explanation. For example, the claim that trains generate “new technologies and innovation” is not clearly linked to the benefits of high-speed rail. Explain more precisely how each investment option benefits passengers and cities to make the argument more fully developed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. “On one hand” and “However” help signal the contrast, and the examples are placed in the relevant paragraphs. This gives the discussion a coherent progression. Some connections between ideas are less clear, however. The sentence about trains generating innovation follows the travel-time example without explaining the link, and the conclusion’s warning about “running behind numbers” is not clearly tied to the earlier comparison. Referencing is also occasionally imprecise, as in “the existing one,” where the reader must infer that you mean railway lines. Use more explicit links between claims and examples, and make the conclusion directly restate your position on when new lines are justified.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “infrastructure,” “maintaining,” “renovating,” and “environment,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also some effective phrases, such as “desperate need” and “local convenience.” However, noticeable spelling, word-form, and collocation errors reduce precision: “improvising existing transportation system” does not mean improving it, and “reconsider the time of publics” is unclear. Other examples include “a capital,” “atleat,” and “mindgul.” Some expressions, such as “building train stations,” are also less precise when discussing railway lines. Check spelling carefully and learn common transport collocations; choosing accurate, natural wording will make your arguments easier to follow.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “if the government focuses on maintaining and renovating it timely” and a relative clause in “which plays vital role.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain noticeable. For example, “Most countries … assumes” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “other says” also needs plural agreement. In “whether is it beneficial constructing,” the word order and clause structure are faulty; a clearer form would be “whether constructing new railway lines is beneficial.” Articles and plurals are also missing in phrases such as “plays vital role” and “a new railway lines.” Review these patterns and proofread each sentence for a complete, correctly formed structure.
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.