Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Some people think that in many countries of the world, it is necessary to spend huge amount of money on constructing new railway lines for fast trains, while others believe that money should be spent on improving the existing public transport.

I personally thinks that, budget should be spend on both the exisiting transport system and new trains due to the advanced transport system.

It is necessary to spare some finances for the new railway projects, because the world is moving towards the rapid transit system rather than typical old modelled locomotives. In addition to this, fast metro trains requires special kind of track and can not be run on old tracks. These trains minimizes the distance between the cities. Moreover these trains run on electricity rather than fuel, saving a huge amount of cost as well. Keeping in view the increasing population, new railway projects are must to avoid burdening the exisiting modes transportation.

Although new projects are advantageous for the citizens, but existing public transport should be maintained to manage the burden on new trains. Not only trains, but buses and trams for inter city travelling should be capable enough to handle the number of citizens. Old transport should be replaced with hybrid models to save cost that can be spent on public welfare. Subway stations, bus stops should be kept clean.

I believe that government should distribute the transport budget in such a way that, public transport remains upgraded and the exisiting one remains in better condition. To control the rush on single mean of transportation new railway projects should be initiated as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—building new high-speed rail versus improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion. Your position is stated in the introduction and reiterated in the conclusion. Main ideas are presented, such as speed, cost-efficiency, and environmental benefits for new lines, alongside the need to maintain buses, subways, and existing networks. However, some ideas are slightly repetitive or under-developed. For instance, stating that new projects avoid burdening existing modes is introduced, but the elaboration on maintaining existing systems could be expanded with more specific real-world examples. Nevertheless, the requirements of the task are met effectively, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.5 to 7.0. Given the solid coverage of both perspectives and a clear stand, a Band 6.0 is awarded, bordering on 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from introduction, body paragraphs supporting each viewpoint, to a clear conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'In addition to this', 'Moreover', and 'Although', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, for example, using 'These trains' to link back to high-speed rail. However, the organization could be smoother with more varied cohesive markers to connect sentences and ideas effortlessly. Overall, the structural flow is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.0 rating.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'rapid transit system', 'locomotives', 'hybrid models', and 'public welfare'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and spelling/form errors, such as 'exisiting' (used multiple times instead of existing), 'thinks' instead of 'think', and 'mean' instead of 'means' of transportation. Collocations are generally functional, but occasional awkwardness appears, such as 'spend on both the exisiting transport system and new trains due to the advanced transport system'. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response securely in the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and concessive clauses like 'Although new projects are advantageous for the citizens, but existing public transport should be maintained...' (note the redundant 'but' paired with 'Although'). There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('fast metro trains requires' instead of require), missing pluralization ('means' versus 'mean'), and spelling/typographical errors. While these errors occur with some frequency, punctuation is generally acceptable, and the meaning remains clear throughout, preventing communication breakdown. This corresponds closely to the Band 6.0 criteria.

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

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