Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
It is often argued in many nations that money should be spent on building up new railway tracks, While others believes that existing public transport must be renovated, Both sounds great as public transport affects the daily lifestyle and infrastructure of a country, this essay will elaborate both ideas with suitable reasons from my own experience or knowledge.
On the one hand, some individuals have a thought of constructing fresh railway lines for very speedy trains between cities is a good reason to spend money on, this can play an crucial role in decreasing the human traffic, people can now have a couple of options to travel. This can also improve the impression of a country internationally, people worldwide could be impressed by this decision and could plan to travel to that nation, this can give more profit to the tourism department. For instance, if people didn't feel fatigued travelling in a country they would definitely recommend others.
On the other hand, some believe that money should be spent on improving existing public transport, this could also be beneficial as by improving department infrastructure citizens may not face hurdles in checking the trains or other transports, If the railway lines were renovated there could be a great decrease in accidents, like the train fell off from the track etc. Improving seats of the buses and trains , maintenance of the vehicles should be on time can improve public comfort. For example, If a person experienced good travel he may have a fresh mood and can serve to his work with more dedication.
Overall, both ideas have some merits, in my opinion serving more on improving existing public transport can improve in saving people valuable time, so they can perform well in daily life duties which may help in improving their lifestyle.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—constructing high-speed railway lines and improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. However, the development of ideas tends to be somewhat superficial and relies on general statements rather than deep elaboration. For instance, the argument about international tourism impact is introduced but not fully extended. Similarly, the points regarding accident reduction and passenger comfort are valid but remain underdeveloped. Despite these limitations in depth, the student successfully covers both required perspectives and maintains a clear position throughout, aligning well with the expectations of Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion appropriately. However, cohesion is frequently faulty and mechanical. The text suffers from comma splices and run-on sentences, such as in the opening sentence ('...new railway tracks, While others believes... Both sounds great...') where clauses are incorrectly joined by commas instead of proper conjunctions or full stops. Referencing and cohesive links between sentences can also be repetitive or overly simple. Paragraph progression is visible, but the mechanical punctuation errors detract from smooth flow, placing the performance firmly in Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating key ideas related to transport, infrastructure, and tourism. There are several attempts to use less common items, such as 'infrastructure', 'fatigued', and 'dedication'. However, noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation occur throughout the text, such as 'human traffic' instead of congestion or passenger traffic, and 'serving more on improving' instead of focusing more on improving. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical errors and awkward phrasings sometimes cause slight hesitation for the reader, making Band 5 the most suitable descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. The text is heavily affected by run-on sentences and comma splices, as seen in phrases like '...decrease in the human traffic, people can now have a couple of options...' and '...maintenance of the vehicles should be on time can improve...'. Furthermore, there are subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'While others believes'. While simple sentences are generally understandable, complex structures are frequently faulty. Because errors are frequent and cause noticeable difficulty with sentence boundaries and readability, the writing matches Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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