Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-28

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 6.0)

In many countries there is debate over how government should allocate the funding in expanding new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. other believe that money should be spent on improving public transport.

people those in a favour of highspeed railway they want betterment of a country economically and environmental benefits. fast trains can help to save time and money . they also pollutant free that protect over environment. this can help business and tourism because people can travel from one city to another in less time. For example , in countries like China and Japan , high speed trains are very popular and they connect big cities quickly. Also, more people use trains instead of cars and planes, it can help reduce air pollution.

on the other hand, other people believe that improving current public transport is more important. Most people use buses and local trains every day to go to work or school. If government makes these services better , more frequent and cheaper , it will help many more people .In countries like Pakistan , public transport is often crowded and not comfortable. If it is improved , fewer people will use private cars and this can also reduce traffic problems.

In my opinion , I think the government should first spend money on improving existing public transport. this is because it affects daily life of most people. After that they can think about building new high speed trains. In conclusion both ideas are benefits , but I believe improvement public transport for daily use is more important for most citizens.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the economic benefits of high-speed rail versus the daily utility of local transport. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about environmental benefits is mentioned but not fully explored. The conclusion is clear, but the overall depth of the arguments could be improved by providing more specific evidence or nuanced reasoning to reach a higher band. The response covers all parts of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'on the other hand', 'for example', and 'in conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. However, there are instances where referencing is slightly unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a more natural, sophisticated structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'high-speed railway', 'economically', and 'public transport'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'they also pollutant free' (should be 'they are also pollution-free') and 'both ideas are benefits' (should be 'both ideas have benefits'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure correct word forms are used consistently throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('the government', 'the environment'), subject-verb agreement issues ('other believe'), and punctuation errors (spaces before commas). These errors do not impede communication, but they are noticeable. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent use of articles and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy.

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

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