Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
in a range of nations, few individuals believe that it is crucial to spend large amount of money on building new railway lines for very fast trains between towns. while other believe that money should be spent on improving exiting public transport. i partially agree with the statement and will discuss my point of view in up coming paragraph.
on the one hand few individuals believe that money should be spent on improving railway lines for very fast trains between cities. The predominant point is that to save quality of time. To elaborate if new railway lines will be emerged then trains can cover large distance in very less time due to which number of individuals can also consume their time. Furthermore railway tracks have also become very old due to which they are broken from some parts and every years a lot of individuals lost their life in accidents.
on the other hand,few individuals believe that. Money should be spent on improving public transports the predominant point is that if public transport will be well maintained then more and more individuals will be prefer to use public transport and these are also cost effective and improving public transport also reduce the amount accidents in daily life because most of individuals prefer to do travel by public transport.
To conclude, improvement in trains will help to consume time. however, improvement in public transport will reduce the risk of accidents occur in daily life in large amount.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, though the development of ideas is limited. The essay is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. The arguments regarding high-speed rail and public transport are somewhat repetitive and lack specific examples or depth. For instance, the claim that 'individuals lost their life in accidents' due to old tracks is a generalisation that needs more support. To improve, you should expand on your points with concrete examples and ensure you meet the minimum word count to fully develop your ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. While you use 'on the one hand' and 'on the other hand', the transitions between sentences are often mechanical or awkward, such as 'The predominant point is that...'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the conclusion is very brief, failing to effectively summarise the main points. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that flows logically into the supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, often relying on simple structures like 'individuals' and 'spend money'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'consume their time' (instead of 'save time') and 'do travel' (instead of 'travel'). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas with precision. To reach a higher band, you should work on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating the same words throughout the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the amount accidents'), subject-verb agreement ('other believe'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation, which makes the text difficult to follow. There is a limited range of complex structures, and the attempts made are often inaccurate. For example, 'if new railway lines will be emerged' is grammatically incorrect. You need to focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense consistency and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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