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)

Many people in some countries believe that government should invest huge amount of money on construction of new and developed railway lines because it can save a lot of time. Others contend that the authorities should focus on improving the pre-established public transport as it can be finished quickly. I agree with the latter view as developing new railway lines can require a lot of time and money as compared to improving and maintaining the already running public transport.

On the one hand, some believe that it is necessary to upgrade the railway lines for faster trains as this development can conserve large amount of time. New railways can also provide better services and facilities as compared to older and out-dated ones. For example, trains in India are relatively slow and not properly maintained as compared to the European countries. I disagree with this view because it require large sums of money for development and can even take years for the construction to be fully finished.

On the other hand, some argue that the government should rather focus on improving the public transport. This is because improving transports that is already established is a lot less time consuming as compared to making new ones. It also requires very less time as compared to constructing new railway lines. For instance, authorities of Nepal should focus on improving proper roads to undeveloped place of the country rather than building railway station in Kathmandu. I agree with this view as it is a lot more practical and less time consuming.

To conclude, although some believe large sums of money should be invested in developing new railway lines for quicker transport. I disagree with this sentiment because it not very practical as require a lot more time and money than required.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views regarding new high-speed rail lines and the improvement of existing public transport, while providing a clear personal position throughout. In the introduction, the writer states, 'I agree with the latter view,' and consistently supports this stance in the body paragraphs and conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as comparing construction times and financial costs, and examples are provided, like mentioning trains in India or transport in Nepal. However, some arguments feel slightly repetitive, and the ideas could be extended with more depth and analytical nuance to reach the highest band levels. Overall, the task is successfully fulfilled with a clear and consistent stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, following a logical essay structure with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions between ideas, such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'To conclude.' However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes repetitive or mechanical—for instance, repeatedly using phrases like 'as compared to' and 'this is because.' Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall progression is clear enough to guide the reader through the arguments without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'infrastructure' alternatives, 'authorities,' 'pre-established,' and 'practical.' There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice and collocation are occasionally imprecise, such as 'transport that is already established' or 'building railway station in Kathmandu' (missing plural article). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, but lexical flexibility and precision remain at a competent rather than sophisticated level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures (e.g., 'as developing new railway lines can require a lot of time and money'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with articles ('government should invest huge amount,' 'building railway station') and subject-verb agreement or missing elements ('because it require large sums of money,' 'transports that is already established'). Despite these recurring errors, the meaning remains clear and communication is not impeded.

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