Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-15

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 many countries, people believes it is necessary to spend more money for the construction of new railyway lines for very fast trains that connect the cities. Some people prefer to spent money on improving exiting public transport. In my opinion, new advanced trains are much beneficial that the existing once.

The major positive point of new railways, it will save time. If speedy trains are available for long routes public can reach the destination in minimum time. For example, a person attend office with less trafic chaos, he may has more energy for work. However, people can spend this time in more productive way.

Another benefit is that new innovative trains will provide the advanced facilities such as flexible seats and routes. However, improvements in the structure make the journey more enjoyable. For instance, by traveling to the harder routes travelers become tired and lost their enery in the way.

On the other hand, spending too much money on exiting transport is not a good decision because new trains are offering many benefits to the public than the previous systems. In addition, exiting transportation may has many faults that's why its better to go for the new one rather than wasting money on different factors.

To sum up, best utilization of budget is to spent it on construction of new train lanes. New innovations allow people to spend more time for refreshment and rest and spend their energy for work. In contrats, old infrastructures required much money to cope with different difficulties.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument that new trains save time is supported by a brief example, but the reasoning remains superficial. The discussion regarding existing transport is also underdeveloped, relying on general claims about 'faults' rather than specific, concrete examples of how improvements could be more cost-effective. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations and specific real-world examples to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The major positive point', 'Another benefit', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'the existing once'). While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow of the argument. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the structure supports the reader's understanding of your position.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors, such as 'railyway', 'exiting' (instead of existing), and 'contrats'. Additionally, some word choices are imprecise, such as 'much beneficial' instead of 'much more beneficial' and 'new train lanes' instead of 'railway lines'. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is limited, and the errors occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the content. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('people believes', 'transportation may has'), incorrect verb forms ('prefer to spent', 'he may has'), and awkward phrasing ('the existing once'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and the correct usage of modal verbs.

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

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