Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-11
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 some countries, a few people favor to spend large budget on to construct new fast railway system between cities, while others think money should be spent on improving present public transport. while improving existing public transport system have benefits of saving money, I believe constructing new fast railway lines will be much impactful.
On the one hand, some people think it is better to improve the existing public transport between cities, the public transport system will be easy and less time consuming which will be beneficial for the common citizen who has to go for work in a different city, additionally improving the existing public transport will require increase in the number of busses or trams and staff, which is cheaper than working on a whole new project of new railway lines. despite its less expensive i believe new fast railways lines will be better option.
On the other hand, some people emphasize on spending large number of budget on new railway lines. because a fast train requires a whole different railway lines, fast public transport system will be beneficial for public as it will transport them to their destiny in no time and work better, while government can put tax charges on those fast trains and in long term the cost of constructing will surpassed by the tax passenger give as fee. for example china has world's largest train network, constructed only for fast trains.
in conclusion, some people think it is better to improve the existing public transport system while others demand a new fast railway lines will be beneficial for long term despite its cost.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 limited. For instance, the argument regarding the cost-effectiveness of existing transport is brief, and the example of China is underdeveloped, lacking a clear explanation of how it supports the argument for high-speed rail. The position is consistent, but the supporting points could be expanded with more specific reasoning or evidence to reach a higher band. The response covers all parts of the prompt, but the depth of analysis is restricted, keeping it at a mid-level performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'in conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as the transition 'despite its less expensive' which lacks a noun phrase. Additionally, some sentences are run-on or lack proper punctuation, which occasionally disrupts the flow of ideas. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'favor to spend large budget' instead of 'favour spending a large budget' and 'cost of constructing will surpassed' instead of 'will be surpassed'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'good' or 'better'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.
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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'improving... have benefits'), article usage (e.g., 'a whole different railway lines'), and incorrect prepositional phrases. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several comma splices and missing capital letters at the start of sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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