Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-09

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)

It is often argued that, few people think it is necessary to spend large amount of money on a constructing new Railway lines for Very fast trains between cities, whereas others believe that money should be spent On improving existing public transport. Although both perspectives have some merit, I firmly believe that money should be spent On improving existing public transport.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people support it is necessary to spend large amount of money on a constructing new Railway lines for Very fast trains between cities. The primary reason is that low cast and time saving. This is mainly because people can travel easily and saves money. As a result, people improve financial and time saving in daily life.

In conclusion, although both views have some valid arguments, I firmly believe that money should be spent On improving existing public transport is more beneficial because low cast and time saving. Nevertheless, it is necessary to spend large amount of money on a constructing new Railway lines for Very fast trains between cities may offer certain advantages in specific circumstances.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 187 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the prompt asks to discuss both views and provide an opinion, the arguments provided are extremely underdeveloped and repetitive. For instance, the explanation for high-speed rail is limited to 'low cast and time saving' without any elaboration or concrete examples. The conclusion merely restates the introduction without adding depth. Due to the severe lack of length and depth, the response does not fully address the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into an introduction, a very brief body paragraph, and a conclusion. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the lack of content. Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical and repetitive way, such as the repeated use of 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical flow between sentences is weak because the ideas are not sufficiently expanded to create a coherent argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'low cast' (instead of 'low cost') and 'a constructing new Railway lines'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas, relying on basic phrasing throughout. To improve, you need to expand your range of academic vocabulary and pay closer attention to spelling and standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with article usage ('a constructing'), capitalization ('Railway', 'Very'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper grammatical control, such as 'The primary reason is that low cast and time saving.' The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. You need to focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.