Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-16
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 some countries, people think that a lot of money should be invested in new high-speed railway lines between cities. However, others believe that this money should instead be used to improve current public transport facilities. in my opinion government must should spend huge number of money on devloping new railway lines for high-speed trains like metro or bullet train. That describe below paragraph.
On the one hand, improving public transport has some advantages. First, buses and taxis can be cheaper for many people, so they are affordable for daily travel. However, these types of transport usually take more time to reach the destination, specially when there is heavy traffic. Second, buses and taxis use roads, which can increase traffic congestion. As a result, other road users may also face delays during busy hours.
On the other hand, spending money on new high-speed railway lines can provide some benefits. First, high-speed trains can help people reach their destinations much faster than buses and taxis. This can save a considerable amount of time, specially for people who travel between cities regularly. In addition, train tickets can be reasonably priced when compared with other fast modes of transportation. Second, modern high-speed trains provide several useful facilities, such as air conditioning, comfortable seats and clean washrooms. These facilities can make long-distance journeys more comfortable for passengers.
In conclusion, although improving public transport can provide affordable travel, I believe that investing in high-speed trains is more beneficial because they can reduce travelling time and provide comfortable facilities for people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The candidate addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—improving existing public transport and constructing new high-speed railway lines—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with explanations regarding travel time, cost, and passenger facilities. However, the development is somewhat basic and the conclusion contains a slightly awkward phrasing referencing the preceding paragraph rather than smoothly wrapping up the arguments. Despite these minor limitations, the task is successfully fulfilled, aligning well with the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance. All parts of the prompt receive due attention.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement and follows a clear logical organization with appropriate paragraphing. The writer makes use of standard cohesive markers such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'First', 'Second', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure of the essay. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical. For example, the sentence 'That describe below paragraph' is confusing and disrupts the flow between the introduction and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is utilized, but cohesion within paragraphs occasionally relies on repetitive sequencing words rather than sophisticated discourse markers.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The candidate demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms such as 'traffic congestion', 'reasonably priced', and 'air conditioning'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, though occasionally with inaccuracies or awkward word choices, such as 'huge number of money' instead of 'large sums of money' or 'a great deal of money'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor slips occur, such as the lowercase 'in' at the start of the second sentence in the introduction and the misspelling 'devloping'. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-like structures successfully (e.g., 'people who travel between cities regularly'). However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward constructions, particularly in the introduction where the writer states 'government must should spend', which is a double modal error, along with 'That describe below paragraph'. Punctuation is generally fine, but sentence boundary issues and minor morphological errors prevent the grammar score from reaching a higher band. Nevertheless, the errors rarely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.