Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03

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)

It is often argued by some people that government should invest more money on constructing new railway lines for rapid trains between cities whereas others opeople opines that authorities should spent money on improving existing public transportation. This essay will discuss both sides along with my prespective in detall in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, some individual believe that building new railway lines is beneficial for fast running trains between cities. First of all, it will be more coninent for citizens. To explain, people can travel by rapid trains for a long distance in a short course of time. For example, in Japan, people use rapid trains to travel between cities and it hardly takes one hour and it help them to reach on their destination on time.

On the other hand, few people argue that government should invest refunde on improning current transportation system. Firstly, public transportation required maintance to run for a long time. To elaborate, if authorities do not maintain transportation services then people will face many issues. For instance, aceording to a survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office, in India, in 2025, on public transport, it was observed that aound 80% of trains have maintained very well. According to my opinion, a large sum of money should be invest in constructing new railway lines. To clarify, in recent times, people do not have much time for travelling. They prefer to reach on their destination as soon as possible and try to find out more convenient way.

In conclusion, spending funds on improving existing public transport is good, I believe that government should spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for improving existing transport is supported by a confusing example regarding a survey in India, which seems to contradict the point being made. The explanation for your own opinion is also quite brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explained with logical reasoning and relevant, clear examples that directly reinforce your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and minor errors in referencing. For example, the transition between the discussion of existing transport and your own opinion could be smoother. The use of cohesive devices is functional but occasionally repetitive or mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors and word-choice inaccuracies, such as 'coninent' (convenient), 'opines' (opine), and 'refunde' (funds). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic terms like 'good' and 'many issues'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure accurate spelling. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of errors prevent a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('government should invest', 'public transportation required') and preposition usage ('reach on their destination'). Some sentences are also awkwardly constructed, such as '80% of trains have maintained very well', which should be in the passive voice. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a need for more careful proofreading and practice with verb tenses and passive structures.

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