Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Concerning public transport in the contemporary era, people are divided over the establishment of new railway lines and revamping the existing transport. This essay will discuss the merit of both of these perspectives with a conclusion based on my personal opinion presented in the end.

The viewpoint that new railway lines should be constructed to enhance public movement and transport between the cities is a welcoming idea. It poses a number of benefits in the form of ease and convenience faced by the daily commuters in travelling to other cities. Instead of changing trains at a number of spots, they can easily hop into one train enroute directly to the city they desire to reach. Secondly, time is precious. It will render alot of time saved for the common man to be on a fast and swift train on seperately-built lines.

Contrary to this opinion, there is this argument that instead of expending such huge amounts on building new railway lines, the existing ones should be refurbished and rejuvenated. The argument seems so valid because funds' expenditure is one of the most concerning issues nowadays in public policy. The very funds which may be used for constructing new lines can be half-lowered and yet they would be enough for renovating the existing lines thus leading to a safe and well-balanced use of public funds.

I personally opine that both of these points of view hold significant importance in the concurrent era. Building new lines for elevated transport is as important as the use of public funds moderately.

Conclusively, both the arguments hold due value; if building new lines can help people move easily, securing funds and revamping existings ones can lead to better use of funds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, fulfilling the requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the cost-effectiveness of renovating existing lines is a good point, but it lacks specific examples or deeper analysis to fully support the claim. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesise the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your reasoning with more concrete examples or hypothetical scenarios to demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Instead of', 'Secondly', and 'Contrary to this opinion' are used to link ideas effectively. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother in places. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure helps the reader follow your argument without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary era', 'revamping', 'refurbished', and 'concurrent era'. However, there are some instances of slightly awkward phrasing or word choice, such as 'half-lowered' and 'elevated transport', which do not quite capture the intended meaning. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise collocations that would elevate the response to a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

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 several grammatical slips, such as 'alot' (should be 'a lot'), 'seperately-built' (spelling error), and 'funds' expenditure' (awkward possessive). Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'It will render alot of time saved for the common man'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more natural sentence construction will help improve your accuracy.

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

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