Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Efficient transportation plays a vital role in connecting cities and improve people's daily lives. Some people argue that it is necessary to spend a lot of money on building new railway networks for effective transportation, while others think that the amount should be spend on improvising of existing public transport. This essay will discuss both these views before giving my opinion.

On the one hand, spending large amount on constructing new railway lines will have some significant benefits. New railway networks will make easy for people to travel from one location to another location comfortably, while people can reach their destinations on time without any hustle. In addition, these rail networks will improve the connection between cities which increases tourism. Moreover, building new railway lines can transport goods and cargos to other states effectively without any delays for trading. For instance, a new rail line between Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh improves comfortable journey for passengers without any hustle. Hence, a large sum of money should be devoted to build new railway lines for effective transportation of goods, cargos and people without delay

On the other hand, some people think that the amount should be spent on to improve the public transport. Improvising public transport will have several advantages for the public. As the population increases there is so much need for transportation, while many people use their own transportation to reach their destination. As a result, using private transportation will leads to pollution, by providing better public transport it will encourage people to use them, and we can reduce the pollution in cities. On top of that, improving public transports will directly reduce the risk of accidents as well as traffic congestion, which ensures a safe travel for people around the cities. Therefore, the amount should be spent on improving public transport, which can reduce traffic, pollution and risk of accidents.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that a large amount should be spent on improving public transport. Although, building new railway line will improve connection between cities and promotes tourism, by improving public transport will reduce pollution, traffic and risk of accidents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of high-speed rail for trade and the environmental advantages of public transport. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the argument regarding 'hustle' is used twice, and the example provided for the rail line is vague. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' of your arguments with more specific, logical reasoning rather than repeating the same points in different ways.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'In addition,' and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, some of the linking is mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'while people can reach their destinations on time without any hustle.' The referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother to avoid the repetitive structure of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'railway networks,' 'traffic congestion,' and 'public transport.' However, there are several instances of incorrect word choice or word formation, such as 'improvising' instead of 'improving' and 'hustle' used in a context where 'hassle' or 'delay' would be more appropriate. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure you are using the correct form of words (e.g., 'improving' vs. 'improvisation').

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('using private transportation will leads to pollution') and incorrect preposition usage ('spent on to improve'). Some sentences are also slightly awkward, such as 'New railway networks will make easy for people to travel.' To achieve a higher score, you need to increase the frequency of error-free sentences and pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules, particularly verb forms and sentence construction.

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

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