Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-26

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 6.5)

Nowadays, technology is improving faster than we think. Similar situation is faced by many countries that they have to choose between upgrading the current railway lines or build the new ones. In my opinion, a country cannot abandon all the running trains. Rather, they should improve the current trains. However, the old tracks that are totally incompatible with the latest fast trains they can be either trashed or completely recycled.

Furthermore, a city always need more number of means of public transport. The better the public transport is, the lesser public will use their private vehicles. The railway lines which are old enough to be upgraded to advanced systems should be removed and the new railway lines for the faster trains should be constructed to adapt to new innovation and technologies. This not only saves time but lesser private vehicle reduces the overall pollution in the eco-system.

Anyhow, it can be debated that improving the existing railway lines can be much more cost efficient. Not the entire system needs to be rebuilt, only few parts are either added or replaced with the newer ones. In addition to this, improving the current railway lines are also less time consuming. As it does not need an entire construction, it takes lesser time to upgrade and renovate the existing tracks. Hence, improvement is faster and cost effective compared to constructing from scratch.

In my opinion, building more train tracks are always beneficial. However, it should be completely the government's decision according to the need of the time. If there are railway lines that can be upgraded it should not be trashed. Those lines should also be improved. To conclude, more lines are always in favor of common public but the old or the current ones should not be trashed until it is completely non-compatible to the new advancements. Rather, more work should be done to upgrade the existing tracks than building new ones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat inconsistent. While you mention the benefits of high-speed rail and the cost-efficiency of upgrading existing lines, the arguments are occasionally repetitive and lack specific, concrete examples to support the claims. For instance, mentioning specific countries or real-world projects would have strengthened the response. The position is clear, but the conclusion slightly contradicts the earlier body paragraphs by suggesting a preference for upgrading over new construction, which makes the overall stance feel a bit muddled. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph focuses on a distinct, well-supported point.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In addition to this', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly misused, such as 'Anyhow' at the start of the third paragraph, which is too informal for an academic essay. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, the phrase 'Similar situation is faced by many countries' lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to previous nouns will help improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'incompatible', 'cost efficient', and 'advancements'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'more number of means' (should be 'a greater number of means') and 'trashed' (which is too informal; 'scrapped' or 'decommissioned' would be better). There is also some repetition of basic vocabulary like 'improve' and 'new'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid informal phrasing to better suit the formal tone required for an IELTS Academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'a city always need' (subject-verb agreement), 'lesser public will use' (should be 'fewer people'), and 'it should not be trashed' (should be 'they should not be trashed' to agree with 'lines'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to limit your score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of quantifiers like 'fewer' versus 'less' to enhance your accuracy.

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