Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-14

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)

Nowadays, people are having a busy lifestyle. Many people believe that large amount of funds need to be allocated for constructing high-speed trains between cities. While, some people also hold the view that existing modes of transport improved. I agree with the former side and this essay will discuss my view with relevant examples.

To begin with, due to fast-paced lifestyles people want to achieve reach far places very quickly. Rapid developments in science and technology, have given fast-speed trains which can cover longer distances in shorter periods, and thus save time. These trains are more convenient and much safer than road and air transports. While traveling by road, traffic jams are frequently observed which can cause delays. Flights are often cancelled or delayed due to bad weather or maintenance problems which adds to the difficulty of passengers. Also, in many medical emergency conditions, patients and medical services need to be rapidly transferred from one city to another for treatment. For example, in Japan, a heart donated by brain-dead person's family was transferred from one city to another via bullet train, because flights were not available that day due to bad weather.

On the other hand, some people from developing countries say that current public transport is needed to be modified. They hold such a view because they believe that their country first needs to focus on problems such as unemployment, poverty and many others. Development of high-speed trains needs high capital investments which is generally not available for developing countries. The ticket fare is often high and not in the range of common people from such countries.

In conclusion, development of high-speed trains is beneficial to the country, as it will enhance the connectivity between different cities and bring people and communities together.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, particularly the example regarding medical transport in Japan, which adds depth to the argument. However, the conclusion is somewhat abrupt and fails to fully summarise the main points or reiterate the opinion in a nuanced way. While the task is addressed, the development of the counter-argument regarding developing countries could be more detailed to reach a higher band. The position is consistent, but the overall depth of analysis is slightly limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the opening paragraph has a minor issue with sentence structure ('While, some people...'), which slightly disrupts the flow. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'high capital investments' and 'fast-paced lifestyles'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'achieve reach far places' (which is redundant) and 'brain-dead person's family' (which is slightly informal). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. The range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'existing modes of transport improved' (missing auxiliary verb) and 'need to be rapidly transferred' (placement of adverb). Additionally, 'due to fast-paced lifestyles people want to achieve reach far places' contains a redundant verb. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement would enhance the quality of your writing.

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

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