Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-21

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)

In an era characterized by rapid social and technological change, transportation is becoming a matter of concern in the contemporary world. It is often argued that it is mandatory to spend a large amount on constructing new railways. However, some individuals believe that money should be spent to the existing transport system. This essay will discuss both views and present a potential opinion.

On one hand, people reflect that government should spend a huge amount on railways. Introducing new railways will boost the economic growth of the country. New technology high speed railway can provide legitimate benefits. It can provide opportunities for people to reach their destination in less time. Moreover, it will also help to trade more effectively between cities, as high-speed railway will take less time to reach from one stop to the other. For instance, if we look at the countries like Japan and South Korea who had introduced built trains, which are helping to migrate passengers more easily .

On the other hand, some individuals think that more money should be spend on the existing transportation because in an underdeveloped country where people are mostly dependent on local transportation needs upgraded mode of transport. Government should spend money on the urban areas where traffic conjunction is a major concern for people. Most of the time local people prefer to use public transport in their daily routine because they are unable to afford expensive transportation.

In comparison, I acknowledge that advanced technology railways can bring lucrative options for citizens. However, in my opinion in an underdeveloped country it is obligatory for the government to spend more money on the existing transport, therefore individuals who are financially unstable can gain the opportunity to travel better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on public transport spending and presenting a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as mentioning Japan and South Korea, although the examples and supporting explanations tend to be slightly generalised or underdeveloped. For instance, the reference to built trains could be more precise. The position is maintained throughout the essay, meeting the criteria for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, separating the introduction, two body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand' are used to signal transitions between ideas. However, referencing and referencing markers are occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'spend to the existing transport system' and 'because they are unable to afford,' leading to a Band 6.0 performance for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items like 'contemporary world,' 'mandatory,' 'economic growth,' and 'lucrative options.' However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'spend to the existing transport system' instead of 'spend on,' 'traffic conjunction' instead of 'congestion,' and 'built trains.' Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is inconsistent, placing the response solidly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures like 'for instance, if we look at the countries like Japan...' and subordinate clauses. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances, such as 'who had introduced built trains, which are helping' and 'some individuals think that more money should be spend,' where the base verb is incorrectly used after a modal auxiliary. These errors do not impede overall communication, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

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.