Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-24

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)

Nowadays, in different nations, individual think that it is necessary to spend large funds of money should be spend on building new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. While other believe the fund should be spent on improving the current public transport.

Railways are the backbone for any country in terms of transportation for both people and goods. For any modern and develop nations, transport plays an essential role in the smooth running of the nation. Government should spend a sufficient sums on constructing new railway lines for fast travelling. It connect the cities inside a country with special and proper routes without any traffic, saving time and energy. It is also more convenient and cheaper than the air travelling. A good amount of people work in other cities these days, making it more easy for them to travel on daily basis. In addition, by building new railways stations, it gives a modern infrastructure to the city, giving it more beauty. It also reduces the traffic burden, as most of the public travel by train and not private cars. For instance, the best example is Japan's fast bullet train, which speed is 360 km per hour.

While constructing fast trains are important, the transport inside city like buses have the same importance. These buses or taxi cars are also essential in the daily life moving inside the city. According to a recent research, 60% of the people in a city travels daily by local transport like buses.

In conclusion, while spending the sums on making new trains lines, it is equally important to have a good amount of funds to spent on the existing public transport. In my opinion, government should introduces such schemes that give equal attention to both.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of high-speed rail are supported with a relevant example (Japan), the discussion regarding existing public transport is underdeveloped and lacks specific examples or depth. The introduction is slightly repetitive, and the position could be more explicitly stated in the opening paragraph to ensure a more consistent argument throughout. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the prompt receive equal weight and more detailed justification.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow could be improved by using more sophisticated linking phrases. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main viewpoints. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences within the paragraphs could be better connected to improve the overall cohesion of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'backbone' and 'infrastructure', but there are also recurring issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'large funds of money should be spend' (should be 'large sums of money should be spent') and 'making it more easy' (should be 'making it easier'). While the errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('individual think', 'other believe'), verb forms ('should be spend'), and article usage. While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that passive voice constructions are formed correctly. The punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate greater control.

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