Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-22
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 5.0)
It is truly believed that in numerous countries, many people think that it is essential to use a large sum of money to built a new railway lines for fast train on the other hand people think that that should spent to improve existing public transport.
To commence with it, the people who think that the government should spend a large amount to built new lines for trains have their own point of view.To instance it, they think that if the new lines are introduced for fast running trains no one will be late for their offices or schools. Secondly, that think that why work on old ones when that can just make a new one that is modern and convenient for everyone.
On the other hand, people who think that they don’t need to waste so much for building new ones just improve the existing ones so they can work like a new. Since they think that if the new starts making what are they going to do with the one that are still working and can be used further. Then, that also think that instead of spending a large money on the things that is not necessary it is actually a waste of money that. That currency can be used for another purposes.
To conclude it, it is evident that the money should be spent on a existing transports to improve them instead of making new ones. According to my opinion, I believed that the high authority should think about it carefully and try to improve existing transportation instead of spending to make new
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
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 quite limited. For instance, the argument for new railway lines is supported only by the idea of punctuality, and the counter-argument regarding existing transport lacks specific examples or depth. The ideas are repetitive, and the reasoning is somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples, rather than simply stating that something is a 'waste of money'. The conclusion is also incomplete, as the final sentence cuts off abruptly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'To commence with it' and 'To instance it' are unnatural and do not effectively link ideas. Referencing is also problematic; for example, the phrase 'that think that why work on old ones' is confusing because the pronoun 'that' is used incorrectly to refer to people. The progression of ideas is hindered by these repetitive and unclear transitions, making the flow of the essay feel disjointed at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, which restricts the ability to convey complex ideas. You frequently use basic words like 'things', 'money', and 'make'. There are also issues with word forms and collocations, such as 'to built a new railway lines' (should be 'to build new railway lines') and 'for another purposes' (should be 'for other purposes'). The range of vocabulary is just about adequate to communicate the basic message, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. You should focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to infrastructure and urban planning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay, particularly with subject-verb agreement, article usage, and sentence structure. For example, 'the new starts making what are they going to do' is grammatically incoherent. Many sentences are simple or contain errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the punctuation is inconsistent. To improve, you need to focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly. Proofreading for these fundamental errors would significantly improve the clarity of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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