Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Some frequent country's people it is important to invest a capital on existing roads and transport to make it efficient, while others believe it should be used to make new railway lines for fast trains between cities. Both have strong opinions and views to tackle other view but, in my opinion, improving the existing system will be helpful and more suitable for countries.

According to number of people the capital should be used to make new railway lines using fast bullet trains that will improve transport system and also the beauty of surroundings. The process will let in new technology and number of benefits for the development of city-to-city fast transport. It will connect several major cities that are far enough from local transport, in this way it will make the way easier and efficient.

However, some people believe that the money should be used to repair and advance the old transport system. As it is working from larger time routes are familiar to drivers and local people improving it will increase the public support for government and it will also be less expensive and more useful than fast trains project. Moreover, working in new project will require a lot of land that may disturb the agriculture as this land will be used it will create a sense of scarcity, food shortages in country. That may further lead to diseases and economic burden for country.

In conclusion to conclude that, I agree to purpose of spending money in improving the available roads and transport rather than making new railways.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the negative impact of new railways on agriculture and the subsequent link to 'diseases' is a significant leap in logic that lacks sufficient explanation or evidence. While the prompt is addressed, the supporting arguments remain somewhat superficial and rely on generalizations. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more concrete, logical justifications for your points, ensuring that each claim is fully explained rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In conclusion to conclude that'. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are abrupt, making the flow feel a bit disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases more naturally to connect your ideas, and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'this process', 'such projects') is precise to avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'make new railway lines' and 'make the way easier'. There are also some instances of awkward collocation, such as 'invest a capital' (should be 'invest capital') and 'working from larger time' (which is unclear). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to infrastructure and urban planning, and focus on using collocations correctly to express your ideas with greater accuracy and naturalness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'Some frequent country's people' (which is unclear), 'According to number of people' (missing article), and 'working in new project' (missing article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction, article usage, and subject-verb agreement to ensure your writing is more accurate.

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

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