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, a similar situation is faced by many countries that they have to choose between upgrading the current public transport or build the new one. In my opinion, a country cannot abandon all the running commute. Rather, they should improve the current transport. However, the old means that are totally incompatible with the latest fast machines can be either trashed or completely recycled.

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

However, it can be debated that improving the existing commute like buses, trains, metro and subways can be much more cost efficient. Not the entire system needs to be rebuilt, only a few parts are either added or replaced with the newer ones. In addition to this, improving the present time transportation is also less time consuming. As it does not need an entire construction, it takes lesser time to upgrade and renovate the existing routes. Hence, improvement is faster and cost effective compared to constructing from scratch.

In my opinion, building more means are always beneficial for common people. However, it should be completely the government's decision and according to the need of the time. If there are railway lines, buses or any other means that can be upgraded it should not be trashed. Those means should also be improved. To conclude, more local transport is always in favor of common public but the old or the current ones should not be removed until it is completely incompatible to the new advancements. Rather, more work should be done to upgrade the existing public transport 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 repetitive. While you mention the benefits of upgrading existing systems (cost-efficiency, time-saving), the discussion on high-speed rail is underdeveloped, focusing mostly on the binary choice of 'trash or upgrade' rather than the specific merits of high-speed infrastructure itself. To reach a higher band, ensure that both perspectives are explored with equal depth and specific examples, such as the economic impact of high-speed rail versus the accessibility benefits of local transport, rather than focusing primarily on the mechanics of construction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'In addition to this' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive phrasing and some awkward transitions. For instance, the link between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel slightly disconnected due to the repetitive nature of the arguments. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph builds upon the previous one would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'incompatible', 'innovations', and 'cost-efficient'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'more number of means of public transport' (should be 'a greater number of public transport options') and 'common people' (better as 'the general public'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing like 'means of commute' or 'means of transport'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the lesser public will use' (should be 'the less the public will use'), 'it should be completely the government's decision' (awkward phrasing), and 'it takes lesser time' (should be 'less time'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage also need attention. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for small errors in articles, comparatives, and sentence structure to improve accuracy.

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