Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-05
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)
In many country, people believe the railway are the essential development, and government should spent money on fast trains to travel between one city to another. On the other hand, some people believe that government should focus on existing public transport. In this essay, I will present both views and also give my thoughts on this topic.
Although public transport is effective in connecting our cities, it is very old and slow to connect two different cities. So, in order to connect two different cities railway is most. Although railway is super expensive and take a lot of time to build, there is no agurement this is one of the fastest modes of transport between two cities. Furthermore, many people believe that government should invest more time and money on developing railway because it is very convenient to train far distance. Additionally, the train can also be very useful for office worker, because it connect two cities so, people can travel less to reach office.
On the other hand, many people thing government should focus on improving the existing road, instant of building huge railway system because it take lot of time and investment. Although train are very fast and effective, internal public transport are most to maintain traffic in the city. If the public transport of two city is good, public can choose if they want public transport or trains.
In my point of view, both train and public transport both are really important. While train can carry numbers of people in short period of time, public transport require less investment and also cheap to travel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both viewpoints and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is limited. For example, the argument for fast trains is repetitive, focusing mainly on 'convenience' without exploring broader economic or environmental impacts. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding existing public transport is somewhat vague, relying on general statements like 'internal public transport are most to maintain traffic'. To reach a higher band, you need to extend your arguments with more specific examples or logical consequences rather than repeating the same points in different ways. The position is clear, but the supporting evidence lacks depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'So, in order to connect two different cities railway is most' and 'instant of building' (instead of 'instead of') disrupt the flow. While there is a logical progression from one paragraph to the next, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is weak due to grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track the relationship between ideas. More varied and precise linking words would improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'fast', and 'important'. There are also several word-choice errors, such as 'railway are the essential development' (should be 'railways are an essential development') and 'people thing' (should be 'people think'). The use of 'most' as a substitute for 'essential' or 'crucial' is incorrect. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to transport and infrastructure, and ensure you are using words in their correct grammatical form.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a high frequency of grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('railway are', 'train are'), article usage ('the railway', 'the government'), and pluralisation ('In many country'). Sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complex forms, such as 'If the public transport of two city is good, public can choose if they want public transport or trains.' These persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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