Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In many countries, some people believe that it is important to expend large amount of money on constructing new railway lines for increasing the speed of trains between cities. Others believe the money should be invest on upgrading existing public transport.

It is believed by few people that spending money on development of new railway lines to make the train service more efficient is necessary for the populated cities as it will greatly improve communication and make travelling easier and more convenient but others believe that it is more better to spend money for the improvement of existing transport. Both of these perspectives will be discussed in this essay.

From my perspective, no doubt it is necessary to build new railway lines for improving train service but I believe that investing money to improve existing public transport is more beneficial for the individuals of all the cities. For example, the Orange line train and Metro services in big cities which are already working around cities need some more attention by the government due to bad condition of buses and also need to increase their numbers to avoid from congestion of people in urban areas. So, the proper measurements should be taken by government for improving the infrastructure of existing roads and the number of public buses should also be encouraged.

On the other hand, if there will be proper investment on the construction of railway, lines the mode of transport can also become more convenient. But it needs proper check and balance by the construction department. However, travelling by trains is a little bit slow and more time taking than other transport. So, I think this perspective is not encouraged by most people due to some of its drawbacks.

In conclusion, Construction of railway lines to facilitate mode of transport is positive approach but to improve the the existing transport

is also necessary for most populated areas where there is need to enhance the service of public transport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—constructing new high-speed rail lines versus improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion throughout the essay. The position is stated in the introduction and reiterated in the conclusion. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning the Orange Line train and Metro services. However, some of the supporting points are slightly under-developed or repetitive, such as the general claims about congestion and public transport infrastructure. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.0, as all parts of the prompt are addressed with relevant, although sometimes limited, development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, including a distinct introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint and the writer's opinion, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'On the other hand' and 'In conclusion'. However, some logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and slightly clunky referencing, such as 'Both of these perspectives will be discussed in this essay' followed by somewhat mechanical transitions. Paragraphing is adequate, but within paragraphs, the flow of ideas can be abrupt. This performance corresponds to a Band 6.0 for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as 'infrastructure', 'congestion', and 'perspective', but there are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate collocations throughout the text. Examples include 'expend large amount of money' (instead of spend), 'invest on' (instead of invest in), 'more better' (a double comparative error), and 'avoid from congestion'. Furthermore, there is repetition of basic words like 'money', 'spend', and 'transport'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher band. These characteristics align with a Band 5.5 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student attempts complex structures with clauses introduced by 'as', 'although', and conditional markers, but these attempts are frequently accompanied by grammatical errors. Notable errors include prepositional mistakes ('spend money for the improvement'), passive voice awkwardness ('if there will be proper investment'), and article omissions or redundancies ('the proper measurements should be taken by government'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching a Band 6.0, making Band 5.5 the most accurate reflection of grammatical control.

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

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