Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-23

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 has been observed that some people believe that it is essential to spend large amount of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities while on the other hand some people believe that money should be spent on improving existing public transport . Well I agree on both of them but the second for me is better because it is very important to spent money to improve existing public transport.

My inclination is eleborated in ensuring paragraph and relevant example .

Mỹ foremost argument to justify my stand is that’s spending money on public transport is very important for local people who don’t have their own cars and it is very benificial for them to meet their needs . For example : our home maid is travel all from gujrawalan she need to have her own car but from the improvement of public transportation she travel easilly from there to here . This is very usefull for her . Furthermore , other people also use it when they don’t have fuel in their own cars . That help them to make sure they arrive timely to thier jobs also it is very cheap that a local people also use it for thier own need . On the contrary , some other people thing spend money on railway lines for fast trains that also somehow true . It is also very beneficial or important that it help the very large group of people to arrive at thier destination .however both are true but I personally believe that government should spent money to improve public transportation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding public transport are repetitive and rely on a single, somewhat informal personal anecdote about a 'home maid'. The discussion of high-speed rail is underdeveloped, lacking specific reasons or examples to support why it might be beneficial. The essay structure is fragmented, with an awkward transition between paragraphs and a lack of depth in the analysis. To improve, you should aim to provide more balanced, well-reasoned arguments for both sides, ensuring that your examples are relevant and clearly linked to the broader topic rather than focusing on personal narratives.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear structure. The introduction is brief and the transition to the body paragraphs is abrupt, with the phrase 'My inclination is eleborated in ensuring paragraph' being unclear. Paragraphing is insufficient, as the response is essentially one large block of text. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'On the contrary', they are often used incorrectly or in a way that does not effectively link ideas. The progression of ideas is difficult to follow because the sentences do not flow logically from one to the next. Improved paragraphing and a wider, more accurate range of linking words are necessary for a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, often relying on simple phrasing such as 'spend money' and 'very important'. There are several spelling errors, such as 'eleborated', 'benificial', 'gujrawalan', 'easilly', and 'thier'. The word choice is often imprecise, for example, using 'home maid' instead of 'domestic worker' or 'commuter'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning. 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 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'she need to have', 'a local people also use it'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing articles. Sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complexity, such as 'she is travel all from gujrawalan'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces placed incorrectly before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and correct punctuation usage.

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

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