Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-20
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 some countries, there are those who believe that spending large amount of money is significant in constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between urban areas, while some people think that it should be spent on improving existing public transport. In these essay, I will discuss both views before providing my opinion.
On the one hand, some people think that the government should spend large sums of money on the construction of new railway lines for the very fast trains between cities, since it promotes accessible and convenient transportation system. For instance, passengers who travels far will have the chance to book once only, considering that there is no need to use other modes of transportation since a train is set to travel one way and stops exactly on each destination, therefore commuters can relax during their whole trip.
On the other hand, there are those who believe that improving existing public transport should be the priority where more money should be spent. Public transport is an easy access for the community to travel, therefore improving it can accommodate more people, compared to the existing public vehicles that are only limited to number of passengers. Moreover, an upgrade to public transport can ease traffic congestion, wherein private owned vehicles may consider switching to public transportation because it is cheaper and practical.
In my opinion, money should be spent more on improving public transportation since it benefits more to the community while new railings for fast trains only an advantage to limited number of people that are traveling from far destination. Unlike public vehicles they are used everyday and also accommodate more if it will e upgraded.
In conclusion, there are more positive outcomes in spending more money to improve public transportation than new railways for fast trains. Nevertheless, it also eases traffic jam and benefits mote to the community.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The position is consistent throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the argument for fast trains is supported by a rather vague example about booking tickets, and the argument for public transport could be strengthened with more specific evidence or examples of how it benefits the community. While the main ideas are relevant, they lack the depth required for a higher band score. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and reiterates the writer's stance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'they' in the final paragraph, which makes the sentence structure feel a bit disjointed. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at using topic-specific vocabulary like 'traffic congestion' and 'urban areas'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'new railings' (instead of 'railways') and 'benefits more to the community' (instead of 'is more beneficial to the community'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score for lexical range and precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('passengers who travels') and article usage ('in these essay'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'new railings for fast trains only an advantage to limited number of people'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical slips would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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