Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-03
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 majorities of the countries, some individuals believe that it is mandatory to invest huge amount of share on building new railway lanes for better connectivity between cities. While, others argue that money should be spend on enhancing different public transport. I believe government should invest heavily on various public transport. This essay highlights positive effects as well as negative on spending the money wisely.
On the one hand, transportation play a crucial role for the citizens of a country. Rapidly increasing the population of the countries government should invest largely in public transportation. These issues can decrease private vehicles due to this pollution can gradually get less. Authorities should introduce electric buses and taxies for the cities for convenient transport with less charge and pollution. Moreover, traffic jam will get decrease due to good service from government. For instance, in Japan the authorities are very focused on public transport because of that citizens are less stressed and don't have to waste their time and energy on traffic signals.
On the other hand, people who believe that government should invest heavily on constructing new railway lines that can be less satisfactory for the people. Because trains can't reach at each and every place and it also have the particular station from where individuals go home. Investing particularly in one transport can damage the transportation system. For instance, if people don't travel in trains they can have the option of private vehicles and due to that chaos will increase.
In conclusion, government should invest wisely not in one transport sector nevertheless in all the public transport. Because it will not justified by the citizens and it will create issues. Therefore, invest in all the public transport equally.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the benefits of public transport and the drawbacks of high-speed rail, the arguments lack depth and specific supporting evidence. For instance, the point about high-speed rail being 'less satisfactory' because it cannot reach every location is a valid observation, but it is not fully explored. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a more robust example, rather than relying on brief, somewhat repetitive statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, the use of linking words is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'While, others argue' (which is a sentence fragment) and 'due to this pollution can gradually get less.' The referencing is occasionally unclear, which affects the flow of the argument. Improving the variety and precision of your cohesive devices will help the ideas connect more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'connectivity,' 'transportation system,' and 'authorities.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'invest huge amount of share' and 'less charge.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning common collocations (e.g., 'invest a significant amount of money' rather than 'share') and using more sophisticated synonyms to express your ideas more clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('transportation play,' 'traffic jam will get decrease') and article usage ('In majorities of the countries'). There are also issues with sentence fragments and awkward phrasing, such as 'Because trains can't reach at each and every place.' These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text, though they do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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