Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-04

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)

It is often argued by some people that spending money to build new railway lines between cities for higher speed transportation because fast speed trains require new construction. Meanwhile, others argued that the government should spend on existing transportation to improve it. However, I believe that it is very necessary to spend money on new transportation projects.

On the one hand, the supporters of the government should spend money on building new railway lines because old lines often follow outdated paths. As new lines are created, they use modern technology to make straighter, faster and more efficient lines. Take an example of Japan, there most of their transportation lines are more effective, fast and to the point, mainly because in 1995, their government focus to much on creating new lines for railway and bulit train. Thus, spending money to creating new line for tranportation is worthwhile.

While on the other hand, the advocates of spending money on old public transportation is a better way to improve it. As most roads and railway lines in city centers require refurbishment. For instance, in South Africa, it is expected that by the year 2044, there most of old and ancient road and railway lines will be able to function mainly because of their government is currently spending money to improve old transportation lines. Hence, spending money on the existing public transportation system has benefits.

However, I believe that authorities should spend money on building new transportation lines. As new lines are constructed using modern technology that connects cities at high speeds.

To sum up, even though spending money on the old system can preserve old paths and architecture, but from my perspective, I believe the government should invest in building new lines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding Japan in 1995 is vague and lacks a clear connection to the argument about modern technology. Similarly, the South African example is speculative and does not strongly support the counter-argument. While the position is consistent, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly explored with more specific, logical evidence to reach a higher band. The introduction is also slightly repetitive in its phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'there most of their transportation lines' and 'there most of old and ancient road'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, which disrupts the flow of ideas. Improving the variety and naturalness of linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'refurbishment', 'efficient', and 'infrastructure' (implied). However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'fast speed trains' instead of 'high-speed trains' and 'focus to much' instead of 'focused too much'. The range is sufficient to communicate, but the lack of precision and occasional errors in word formation prevent a higher score.

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 grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('others argued' instead of 'others argue'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction ('because fast speed trains require new construction'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels repetitive. To improve, the student should focus on reducing basic grammatical slips 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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