Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-22

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)

Nowadays, many people argue that governemnt should spend huge amount of money on building new railway line, while others believe that spending money to improve existing public transport is beneficial. Although allocating budgets to improve existing public transportation is essential to general public, I believe that spending large sum of money into railway fosters faster transportation by reducing traffic congestation and prevent environmental degredation.

On the one hand, many people might believe that government should spend more to improve old public transportation. It might be because some people are used to travel in traditional means of transportation and suggests government to spend money to renovate or repaire old vehiles like buses or cars rather than spending money on new advanced public transportation. For instance, a survey conducted by insfrastructure and road council indicated people who are used to travel in traditional transportation does not want to change thier means of transportation becuase modern transportation is complicated and they believe transportation will be difficult rather than convenient.

On the other hand, some people want government to spend more on constructing new railways because it will improve the transportation system. Advanced railways foster faster transportation, allowing public to travel in between cities for more easily. If the nation spend more on railways will minimize the use of other public transportation like public buses and cars which generates unwanted traffic congestions, air and noise pollution. For example, a survey conducted by the gobal environment council reported that growing railways have significantly refused traffic congestion in the major cities, resulting in decreased air and noise pollution.

In conclusion, in recent years, many countries believe on spending large sum of money on developing and constructing new railway line than spending money on pre-existing public transportation. I strongly believe that advanced railway lines plays a crucial role in our lives as it is more convenient, faster and most importantly fosters to reduce air and noise pollution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—investing in new high-speed rail versus improving existing public transport—and presents a clear position throughout. The introduction outlines both perspectives, and the body paragraphs elaborate on them adequately. For instance, the first body paragraph discusses traditional transportation users who prefer familiar options, while the second explores how high-speed rail reduces congestion and pollution. However, some ideas are slightly repetitive or under-developed, particularly regarding the reasoning behind public reluctance. Despite these minor limitations, the main arguments are extended and supported with relevant examples, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5, rounded to Band 7.0 for effectively meeting all prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a clear introduction, followed by balanced body paragraphs introduced by standard cohesive markers such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', and concluding with a summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately. However, cohesion is at times somewhat mechanical, and referencing occasionally lacks precision, such as 'If the nation spend more on railways will minimize...', which disrupts the flow slightly. Furthermore, minor awkwardness in transitions prevents the essay from reaching higher coherence bands. Overall, the logical structure is clear and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'environmental degradation', 'traffic congestion', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the essay, such as 'governemnt' instead of government, 'congestation' instead of congestion, 'degredation' instead of degradation, 'repaire' instead of repair, 'vehiles' instead of vehicles, 'insfrastructure' instead of infrastructure, and 'gobal' instead of global. These errors do not impede communication, as the intended meaning remains clear, but they restrict the lexical score. The use of repetitive phrasing like 'spend large sum of money' also points firmly to a Band 6.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as conditional clauses ('If the nation spend more on railways will minimize...') and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the nation spend' instead of spends), missing articles ('allowing public to travel'), awkward phrasing ('suggests government to spend'), and tense inconsistencies. While these errors do not completely obscure the message, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from achieving a Band 6.5 or higher. The control over simple structures is generally fine, but complex constructions require more precision.

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