Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In recent years in a numerous countries, some people believe that it is necessary to spend large funds on consutructing new railway lines for very fast trains between to urban areas. Whereas, other group of people argue that money should be spent on existing public transport. In my opinion i equally agree on both sides of discussion. This essay will discuss both opinion and my personal opinion in detail.

On the one hand some people have an opinion that huge funds to new railway lines for the fast trains between cities would be easier for people to travel long distance within a short time. This means that whenever people have to travel miles away they do not need to sit for a long hours to cover the journey, fast trains cover journey with less time and it save people time. For example , In India in many big cities many office workers or university students travel by metro or train for them fast trains would be very convenient and useful to reach their destinations on time.

On the other hand other group of people beleive that improving public transport is better development because many people believe in cleanliness and safe journey and for that those reasons they use buses or taxi. In other word in many part of the area railway tranportation is not highly introduced because people use buses or local taxi because those are more hygienic and safe and some people do not like to travel on dirty vehicles. For instance, In gujarat most of the people prefer to travel in local city bus or in private taxi because train is not easily available and seats and doors of the train are not too clean.

In conclusion, although in some nations two groups of people have different opinion in which it is beneficial two invest money whethere it is improving public transport or constructing new railway lines. In my point of view it is more beneficial to spend money on both equally beacause people are using all transportation as per their convenient and where they live, therefore improving both is necessary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the benefits of fast trains and the preference for existing public transport, the arguments lack depth and specific supporting evidence. For instance, the example regarding Gujarat is a bit anecdotal and does not fully explain why improving existing infrastructure is a better investment than high-speed rail. To improve, ensure that your arguments are more analytical rather than descriptive, and provide more robust reasoning to support your position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but some transitions feel repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider range of cohesive devices and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more sophisticated and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use basic terms like 'big cities', 'dirty vehicles', and 'good development'. There are also some spelling errors, such as 'consutructing' and 'beleive', and minor collocation issues like 'highly introduced'. While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is not sufficiently wide to demonstrate flexibility or the use of less common lexical items. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to urban planning and transportation, and proofread carefully to eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'In recent years in a numerous countries' (article error) and 'In other word' (singular/plural error). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles throughout the text. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly article usage and pluralization, and ensure that your complex sentences are grammatically sound.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.