Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-19

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 some countries, it is thought that it is crucial that huge amounts of money should be spent on making new railway paths so that fast train can go through to connect between cities. While others believe that argue that it would be more useful if money is spent on enhancing the existing public transport. Although developing the existing railway lines has some benefits, I believe that it would be more beneficial if governments paid more money on establishing new railway routes.

Improving the existing public transport is thought to have many advantages. If governments paid more money on developing public transports, it would be so useful for people who are living in the same city as they will be able to reach their destinations in less time. There are some disadvantages for this development as traffic will not go smoothly if the weather was bad, so people may not be able to use public transports in this case.

On the other hand, constructing new railway routes would be a good improvement for people who moves between cities a lot. constructing new subways, for instance, would not be affected by weather conditions. In addition to this is that railways are fast forms of transportations, which as a result would help people reach their destination in a short time interval.

To conclude, many argue about what should governments care about improving, some believe that governments should pay more money for enhancing the public transports, while others think that authorities should establish new railway routes. In my opinion, I think that constructing new railway routes has more benefits than that of public transports and governments should focus on making new railway lines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding existing public transport is vague, focusing on 'reaching destinations in less time' without explaining how improvements (e.g., more buses or better infrastructure) would achieve this. Similarly, the point about weather conditions is a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of the economic or social impacts of these transport choices. The position is consistent, but the supporting arguments lack the depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'In addition to this', and 'To conclude', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'some' and 'many' to introduce viewpoints. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly rather than relying on simple additive connectors. Paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'paid more money' (repeated twice) and 'good improvement'. There are some inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'making new railway paths' instead of 'constructing new railway lines' or 'developing infrastructure'. While the meaning is always clear, the lexical range is somewhat restricted, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition of basic verbs like 'spend' or 'make'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('people who moves' instead of 'people who move'), awkward phrasing ('connect between cities'), and incorrect article usage or prepositional choices ('paid more money on'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex structures and ensure that your sentences are consistently error-free, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and word order.

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

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