Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-12
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 4.5)
In other countries, mostly people think it is compulsory to expend large amount of money on build a new railway line for ultra fast train in the middle of the cities. But many other people believe that the money should be spent on improving public transport. I agree with both point of views. The people of other countries are right to say that its necessary to spend large amount of money on railway line for ultra fast trains. I think its very useful for our coming generation and youngsters to reach their destination on time. However, the public transport should be improved for peoples who didn't afford train's tickets and who have their own cars and specially for those who earn from public transport for example, drivers, conductors. Spending money on railway lines between the cities is very useful because peoples get comfort in many ways. peopl
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views on public transport spending and giving an opinion, but it suffers from severe under-length, reaching only 147 words compared to the required minimum of 250 words. This severely limits the development of ideas. For example, the student states 'I agree with both point of views' and attempts to explain why high-speed trains and public transport are both useful, but these ideas remain underdeveloped and superficial, without sufficient supporting examples or extension. According to the band descriptors, a response that fails to meet the length requirement and presents only limited, under-developed ideas cannot achieve a band score above 4.0 for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text demonstrates some basic organisational structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion-like remarks, but it lacks proper paragraphing and an overall logical progression. The essay breaks off abruptly with an unfinished sentence ('peopl'). Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, such as 'But' and 'However', and referencing is sometimes unclear, for example shifting between 'The people of other countries' and 'peoples who didn't afford train's tickets'. While there is some underlying intent to sequence ideas, the lack of clear paragraph structure and the abrupt termination pull the overall coherence down, aligning it closely with a Band 5 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.5
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, struggling to meet the demands of an academic task. Examples of inadequate word choice and form include 'expend large amount of money on build', 'ultra fast train', and 'peoples who didn't afford train's tickets'. There are noticeable errors in word formation ('expend' instead of 'spend', 'build' instead of 'building') and plurals ('peoples'). The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for conveying simple ideas, but the frequency of errors and lack of sophisticated phrasing restrict the score to Band 4.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are simple or attempt basic coordination, and attempts at complex structures often feature significant errors, such as 'its necessary to spend large amount of money' (missing apostrophe and article) and 'peoples who didn't afford train's tickets'. Punctuation and grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including missing capitalization at the beginning of sentences and missing punctuation at the end. These errors cause distraction, but basic meaning is generally retrievable, fitting the profile for Band 4.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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