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)

The transportation is the most crucial factor of a economy. it also plays a vital role in providing convenience to the citizen of a country. While in numerous countries people believe that government should spend large budget on constructing new railway line for faster train transportation. and some people argues that budget should be spent to improve current public transport. In the following essay i intend to articulate my opinion and discuss both the views.

To commence with, Railway service contribute some high figures in an annual budget of a country. So from the view point of return on investment, apparently looks like a better option to invest big budget on development of train service. For instance, people in countries like China, Japan and India use train as a daily transportation and also find it the most convenient option to travel.

Moreover, people argues that public transport should be prioritize by government because local travel for instance travelling near locality is more convenient. local public transport can resolve major issue of traffic in many areas which ultimately assist people in abiding traffic rules. In contrast, from the view point of environment conservation public transport can contribute significantly.

To conclude, Both the sectors of transportation plays a vital role in public's lives and in resolving major issues like traffic and pollution. In my opinion, equivalent budget should be spend on both ways of transportation which can resolve major issues of a nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both views and provides an opinion, but the development is limited. The essay falls short of the 250-word minimum, which negatively impacts the depth of the arguments. While the prompt asks for a discussion of both views, the arguments provided are somewhat superficial. For example, the point about traffic rules is not clearly linked to the benefits of public transport. The position is stated in the conclusion, but it lacks sufficient supporting evidence or elaboration to reach a higher band. The under-length nature of the response prevents a more thorough exploration of the complex issues involved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition 'In contrast' which does not effectively contrast the previous point. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. While there is a logical progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive nature of some transitions limit the coherence. Paragraphing is present but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to better support the central ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'transportation', 'budget', and 'convenient'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'contribute some high figures' or 'abiding traffic rules'. While the meaning is generally clear, the student does not demonstrate the ability to use less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions effectively. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express complex ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Railway service contribute', 'Both the sectors... plays'), article usage ('a economy'), and punctuation errors. Some sentences are fragmented or lack proper structure, such as 'While in numerous countries... and some people argues...'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not completely impede communication. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence construction is necessary to improve the score.

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