Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-04

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)

It is undeniable that, Nowadays, public transport has become a pensive concern. In this regards, some people have a perspective to spend more money on railway lines while other think that it is more beneficial to spend money on the public transport which already exists. This essay will outline not only the both views but also my perspective which is in favor of former point of view in forthcoming fragments with a logical conclusion.

To commence with, those who opine that establishment of new railway lines for very fast trains have their own reasons. The prime one is that, it offers a easy and fast travel to people. To explain it, as one already know that railway have no traffic jams and have almost straight lines while helps a train to be get a faster mode than any other ground transport and also new electric trains have more pickup and top speed than older and also of new technology. For example, trains in japan are working on magnetic principles in these days. Another one is that it helps in business growth. To elaborate it, through trains people can make import and export business more relevant and easy to do. One can do trade within many nations and cities. It will also a cheaper mode that other. As a result, it will also help to develop a country economic growth. Moreover, it will also control pollution. To clarify it, while with the usage of railway people the usage of cars and many other vehicles will be reduced which will help government to control pollution at some extent easily.

Nevertheless, there are also few points in the favor of later point of view. First and foremost is that , easy for daily use. To write more, in many countryside areas the no availability of railway lines so for the people from these areas working in urban areas prefer the public transport like buses. For example, survey printed in a local newspaper depicts that most of daily travelers prefer buses more than other public transports.

In conclusion, although there are few positive outcomes of developing existing public transports such as Easy for daily use. Yet, In my perspective money spent on railway system can give more beneficial outcomes.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding economic growth is mentioned but not fully explained with specific, logical links. The conclusion is quite brief and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented. While the prompt is addressed, the depth of analysis is limited, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure that each supporting point is fully expanded with clear reasoning and concrete examples rather than just listing benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'To write more' or 'In this regards'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions between sentences feel forced. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved to ensure that each sentence flows naturally into the next. The essay is coherent overall, but the management of cohesion needs more flexibility and precision to reach a higher level.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations. For example, 'pensive concern' is used incorrectly to mean a serious issue, and 'pickup' is informal when discussing train performance. There are also some minor errors in word formation, such as 'economic growth' used where 'the country's economic growth' would be more accurate. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('railway have no traffic jams'), missing articles ('offers a easy'), and awkward phrasing ('helps a train to be get a faster mode'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and detract from the overall quality of the writing. More attention to basic grammar rules and sentence construction is needed.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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