Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-15
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)
The debate whether it is necessary to spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities, as opposed to money should be spent on improving existing public transport, has become a matter of discussion for society. In my opinion, the money should be spent on improving existing public transport. In this essay, I shall examine both points of view and present supporting arguments for my selection.
To commence with, there are numerous predominant factors which suggest that spending money on existing public transport is better option. Firstly, existing public transport can serve people more effectively. This is because, it reduce overcrowding and delays. For example, more buses and train can carry more passenger at once during rush hours. secondly, Improving current transport can make daily travel more comfortable due to better facilities and safer vehicles. For example replacing old buses with new ones.
On the other hand, there are some undeniable aspects of spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. The most common one is that new high speed railways reduce travel time between two cities. This is because, the new technology is far more powerfull and efficient. For example, there are many route of high-speed train connecting connecting major cities in Japan. In addition, building new railway lines can support economic development because of easier business and trade between cities. For example, workers travelling quickly to nearby cities.
In conclusion, this is a topic which raises a plethora of questions in contemporary life. From the given examples, it is clear that both sides have strong supporting arguments. Nevertheless, I am still inclined to say that money should be spent on improving existing public transport.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—constructing new high-speed railway lines and improving existing public transport—while clearly stating a personal position in favor of improving current infrastructure. The main ideas are relevant and supported with explanations and examples, such as reducing overcrowding and referencing high-speed trains in Japan. However, some of the ideas are slightly under-developed and could be extended further with deeper analysis or more nuanced examples. Overall, the task is properly fulfilled, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 by covering all parts of the task with a clear position throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a clear logical organization with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint separately, and a distinct conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to structure the text, such as 'To commence with', 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and punctuation issues occasionally make the cohesion feel somewhat mechanical, particularly with abrupt transitions like 'secondly' (which was uncapitalised and lacked elaboration) and minor mechanical errors in paragraphing flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, grouping related ideas together. These features align well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and academic phrases such as 'contemporary life', 'plethora of questions', and 'economic development'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and grammatical collocation errors, such as 'spend large sums of money' instead of 'spending large sums of money', and spelling/repetition errors like 'powerfull' and 'connecting connecting'. While these minor slips do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. The vocabulary used is sufficient for flexibility and precision in parts, but inaccuracies place it firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and introductory dependent clauses. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('better option'), incorrect prepositional phrases ('aspects of spend large'), and punctuation/capitalization inconsistencies ('secondly,'). Furthermore, sentence structures can be somewhat repetitive in their framing. Although these errors do not impede overall understanding, they occur with enough frequency to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band, placing it at a solid Band 6.0 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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