Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-13
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 6.0)
IN MANY COUNTRIES, AN ONGOING DEBATE IS GOING ON ABOUT WEATHER GOVERNMENT SHOULD INVEST LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TOWARDS NEW RAILWAY LINE FOR FASTER TRAINS BETWEEN MAJOR CITIES OR IMPROVING EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSPORT.IN THIS ESSAY WILL DISCUSS BOTH THE VIEWS AND AN RELAVANT EXAMPLES ABOUT WHY I THINK IMPROVING EXISTING TRANSPORT WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH THE HIGH-SPEED TRAINS CAN BE BENIFICIAL BETWEEN MAJOUR CITIES.
ON THE ONE HAND, IMPROVING EXISITING TRANSPORT IS ARGUABLY MORE BENIFICAL FOR MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION, AS IN MANY CITIES BUS, TRAIN AND METRO IS OVERCROWDED AND UNRELIABLE AND POORLY MAINTAINED. INVESTING IN THIS SECTORS WILL BRING IMMEDEAT CHANGE IN MILLIONS OF LIVES FOR THEIR DAILY COMNUT. MOREOVER, INVESTING IN THIS SERVICES WILL BE LESS EXPENSIVE RATHER THAN BUILDING A NEW RAILWAY LINES. BETTER BUS ROUTES, TRAINS AND MORE FREQUENT METROS COULD MAKE TRAVEL MORE CONVINENT AND MORE AFFORDABLE, SPEACIALY FOR LOWER- AND MIDDLE-CLASS INCOME FAMILIES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, BUILDING NEW FAST RAILWAY LINES CAN BRING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STATUS OF A COUNTRY OR A CITY. FIRSTLY, FAST TRAIN CAN REDUCE TIME BETWEEN TWO MAJOR CITIES FOR WORK AND ACADIMIC PORPUSE. THIS CAN ALSO DEVELOPE TOURISM IN THE AREAS WHERE ITS NEEDED AND ALSO PUSHES THE ECONOMICAL GROWTH. SECONDLY, HIGH SPEED TRAINS CAN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CARS USED IN DAILY LIFE AND THE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS AS WELL, AS THE EMISSIONE OF CARBON IS AFFECTING THE ATMOSPHERE. FOR EXAMPLE, A WELL DEVELOPED AND PROPER LOCATED HIGH SPEED TRAIN NETWORK CAN BE HELPFUL AND A KEYROLE BY REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING AND EASY TRANSPORT.
IN CONCLUSION, HIGH SPEED TRAIN CAN BE BENIFICAL IN MANY WAYS, BUT INVESTING IN EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSPORT WILL BE MORE AFFECTIVE AS EVERYONE IS MORE INVOLVED IN LOCAL TRANSPORT AND IT IS LESS EXPENSIVE TO REDEVELOPE.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the economic benefits of high-speed rail versus the immediate social impact of improving local transport. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the argument regarding environmental benefits is mentioned but not fully explored with specific evidence. While the position is consistent, the essay would benefit from more detailed examples to support the claims made. Overall, it covers all parts of the task sufficiently to meet the requirements of a Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and there are instances where referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'investing in this sectors' contains a grammatical error that disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the final summary, which supports a Band 6 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'economic growth', 'domestic flights', and 'global warming'. However, there are frequent spelling errors such as 'WEATHER' (whether), 'BENIFICIAL' (beneficial), 'MAJOUR' (major), 'COMNUT' (commute), and 'AFFECTIVE' (effective). These errors are noticeable and detract from the overall quality, though they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. A wider range of precise vocabulary would be needed for a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a relevant examples', 'a keyrole'), subject-verb agreement ('bus, train and metro is overcrowded'), and word forms ('investing in this sectors'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods in the first paragraph. While the student attempts complex sentences, the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The errors rarely impede communication, but they are persistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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