Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18

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 6.0)

Some people opine that opening new railway lines and connecting two different cities is important, others postulate that the same capital would be better invested in already built public transport. In my view, the proper maintenance of existing public buses, cars and taxis are more important as the core problem of negligible maintenance and accessibility with the public services would not be solved.

On the one side of the argument, connection to major cities would bring employment opportunities and new leisure places. Those who cannot find the job in the one city, can try their luck in another and this could only be possible due to the presence of fast transport between them through rails. Furthermore, If a person native to one city get bored due to constant work and life crisis, they may take a refreshment tour, away from their homes, that can be completed in one day, saving them the cost of hotel arrangements.

Public transport are increasingly being neglected due to their poor services and lack of professionalism. To exemplify, cheap public buses are going around with half their capacity while expensive private automobiles are gaining popularity. This is due to absence of bus timing records, lack of seriousness in the bus conductor and driver and poor sanitation in the vehicles. Improving these services will not only gain the lost trust of public but may also reduce congestion and pollution.

From my perspective, unless the existing transport system are not maintained properly, construction of new rail roads will eventually be neglected and forgotten as how old railways are deserted. Given the convenience of privately owned cars and bikes, government should provide better facilities with high-end experience with each individual travel so that a person may not get disappointed and continue using central transportation services.

To conclude, while new railways connecting cities would be beneficial for the two cities that it is connecting, the same investment would be better off used for removing variables in existing public transport services across the whole nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—building new high-speed rail lines versus improving existing public transport—and provides a clear position throughout. The writer's stance is introduced in the first paragraph and maintained until the conclusion. Ideas are extended and supported, such as when the writer discusses the employment opportunities brought by fast rail and the neglect of current bus services. However, there is a slight tendency to overgeneralize, and some ideas, particularly regarding the economic viability of new lines, could have been developed with more precision. Overall, the task response fulfills the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0, leaning toward Band 7 as all parts are properly addressed with a clear stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction and stance, to the arguments for high-speed rail, the problems with existing public transport, the writer's perspective, and a clear conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'On the one side of the argument', 'Furthermore', and 'To exemplify', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or formulaic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to group related ideas. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional minor slip-ups in cohesion occur, placing the response solidly at a Band 6.0 moving toward Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'negligible maintenance', 'leisure places', 'congestion and pollution', and 'central transportation services'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'public buses, cars and taxis are more important' (taxis and private cars are usually not classified as public transport in this context), 'get bored due to constant work and life crisis', and 'removing variables'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at conditional structures and relative clauses, such as 'unless the existing transport system are not maintained properly'. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward agreements, including 'maintenance and accessibility... would not be solved' (subject-verb agreement), 'If a person... get bored... they may take' (singular/plural mismatch), and 'unless the existing transport system are not maintained' (double negative/agreement error). Punctuation is generally acceptable. These errors occasionally distract the reader but do not impede overall communication, earning a Band 6.0.

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