Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

To begin with , there are several reasons why this topic is important in our daily life . The main reasons public transport can have direct effect on people and society . Many people face this issue in their daily lives , it can influence their lifestyle different way . For example , it may effect people's work , transport , railway line, Health or relationship . In addition , young people and familes and it can influenced by this situation . Another , important point is that improving existing public transport can have both positive and negative effects .It mainly depends on how people use it and how they deal with the situation . Moreover , there are some possible way to improve the situation . People should have propre khowledge and should make responsible decisions . The goverment , school transport , and families can be also play an important role by providing guidance and support. For instance , simple role and better awareness can help people make then better chioces .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 174 words compared to the required 250 words. Consequently, the ideas are severely underdeveloped. The prompt asks to discuss both views regarding spending money on new high-speed railway lines versus improving existing public transport and to give a personal opinion. The student touches upon public transport generally, mentioning positive and negative effects and ways to improve the situation, but completely misses the core topic of high-speed intercity rail versus existing transport infrastructure. There is no clear position presented on the prompt's specific dilemma. Because the task is only minimally addressed and the word count penalty applies, the score reflects these significant limitations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text lacks clear overall organization and logical progression. The entire response is presented as a single block paragraph, violating basic essay structure requirements. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, and occasionally inaccurate, such as using 'To begin with' followed by vague statements, and disjointed transitions like 'Another , important point is that' and 'Moreover , there are some possible way'. Referencing and logical links between sentences are frequently faulty, making it difficult for the reader to follow a cohesive train of thought. Paragraphing is entirely absent, which significantly lowers the coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, frequently circling back to words like 'public transport', 'situation', 'people', and 'effects'. There are several vocabulary and collocation errors, such as 'propre khowledge' (spelling and phrasing), 'school transport', and 'simple role'. The range of vocabulary is limited and inadequate for an academic task, repeatedly struggling to express precise meanings. While some common words are spelled correctly, the overall lexical resource is severely constrained, resulting in repetitive phrasing that strains the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of simple or overly repetitive sentence patterns. There are numerous grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('familes and it can influenced', 'the goverment , school transport , and families can be also play'), missing plural forms, and incorrect prepositions or articles. Punctuation errors are also prevalent, such as spaces placed before commas. Although some basic sentences are understandable, the frequent errors and lack of complex structural variety restrict the score to this band.

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