Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13
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)
As far as this topic is concerned, I would like to say that 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 ,which has always been debatable and has now become more controversial with many people claiming that it is beneficial while others reject this notion. The substantial influence of this trend has sparked the controversy over the potential impact in recent years. From my perspective, the former proposition appears to be more rational. This essay will further elaborate my views for favoring the positive or negative impact of this trend and thus will lead to a logical conclusion.
Analyzing the statement further, the primary reason is better buses and train services can reduce traffic congestion and provide a reliable means of transportation for people who travel to work and educational institutions every day. Categorically discussing, it cannot be ignored that the main reason behind this is that especially in our country, it has far-reaching consequences.These projects require huge amounts of money and are usually expensive for passengers. Moreover, people living in smaller cities may not receive much benefit from these railway lines
Moving further, it is pertinent to mention that it is the basic duty of the government to provide a safe and stable society for the betterment of the public. It is imperative for the authorities concerned to look into the factor behind this issue and take drastic action against the concerned persons.
To encapsulate, I would like to appeal to the learned figures to come forward, focus their gaze on this issue and launch a vigorous campaign to reform it across the society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address the prompt by discussing public transport and high-speed railways, but it falls short in fully developing a clear position. The introduction contains repetitive and memorised boilerplate phrases such as 'which has always been debatable and has now become more controversial' that do not genuinely address the specific nuances of the two competing views. While the student mentions that high-speed rail projects require huge amounts of money and may not benefit smaller cities, the discussion quickly drifts into vague statements about 'basic duty of the government' and taking 'drastic action against the concerned persons,' which are off-topic for an economic infrastructure debate. Consequently, ideas are under-developed and the overall task fulfillment is limited, aligning with Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay displays some basic organisational structure, such as introductory and concluding paragraphs, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is handled poorly; the body paragraphs are disjointed and contain abrupt transitions like 'Moving further, it is pertinent to mention'. Cohesive devices are frequently misused or overly mechanical, as seen in the dense and somewhat repetitive opening paragraph. Furthermore, referencing is unclear in places, particularly when the pronoun 'this' or 'these' lacks a precise antecedent, making the flow of argument difficult to follow. These issues reflect the characteristics of Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used throughout the essay is repetitive and restricted. The writer relies heavily on basic or overly generic phrasing, such as 'large sums of money', 'huge amounts of money', and 'better buses and train services'. There are also instances of awkward collocation and imprecise word choice, such as 'focus their gaze on this issue and launch a vigorous campaign to reform it'. While the language is minimally adequate to convey basic concepts, the lack of precise less-common lexical items and the presence of noticeable errors restrict the lexical score to Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay exhibits a limited range of grammatical structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, such as 'people who travel to work and educational institutions every day', these are often mixed with awkward or faulty phrasing. There are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues that impede readability, including comma splices and run-on sentences in the introduction (e.g., combining independent clauses with commas before 'which' and 'claiming'). The density of structural errors means the response sits firmly within the Band 5 descriptor for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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