Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-24
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)
In my opinion, both point of views are considerable;however both are having weak points due to budget issues in some countries and various type of pollution which gradually caused by public transportation.So, the both opinions are representing advantages and disadvantages to implemet any of these ideas.
The people who are promoting to spend large amount of money on the construction of railway lines to make travel fast and furious between cities having a plus point of using less public transport which may moderatly decreased the air and sound pollution in the countries while to spend loads of money in just a single project at once might be difficult and not reasonable at all for government.
On the other hand, the people who believes that the money should be spent on improving existing public transport are more realistic and practical because it saves money and time both. To increase the quality feature would be more practical than to starting over from nothing because it would be take months to years to implement the whole railway system all over between the different cities.
In conclusion,the comparison of both ideas illustrates the both sides of prespectives of the people. The people who believes in spending all the money on railway tracks are not focusing on the budget of government and not having realistic approach to the spending ratio for specific project while the people who believes in improving of existing significant feature of the transportation are having far more practical and realistic approach.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on public transport spending and providing a clear personal opinion. The student discusses the benefits of fast railway lines, such as reducing air and sound pollution, while contrasting this with the exorbitant costs involved and the alternative view of upgrading existing infrastructure. However, some ideas lack full development and depth, occasionally relying on repetition rather than extending arguments with specific, fully realized examples. For instance, the phrase 'travel fast and furious between cities' touches on high speed, but the explanation remains somewhat generalised. Nevertheless, the position is maintained throughout the essay, meeting the requirements of a Band 6.0 performance under the Task Achievement descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognizable four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Logical progression is attempted, but cohesion is sometimes mechanical and faulty due to punctuation and connective issues. For example, 'considerable;however both are having weak points' demonstrates poor punctuation and spacing. Furthermore, referencing is not always clear, and the excessive repetition of phrases like 'the people who believes' weakens the cohesive flow. Paragraphing is present, but internal logical transitions could be managed more skilfully to guide the reader seamlessly through the arguments. These issues place the response firmly in the Band 5.0 to 5.5 range, leaning towards 5.5 for a clear overall structure.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey basic arguments regarding transportation budgets and environmental pollution. However, there is a limited range of vocabulary, and noticeable errors in word choice and collocation appear throughout the text. Phrases such as 'point of views' (instead of 'points of view'), 'fast and furious' (an informal idiom ill-suited for an academic essay), and 'implemet' (a spelling error) restrict the score. The student attempts less common vocabulary items like 'infrastructure' or 'practical', but imprecise usage and frequent spelling slips mean that lexical control remains at a Band 5.0 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition in constructing multi-clause sentences. However, frequent grammatical errors and punctuation flaws impede fluency. Notable errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('both are having weak points', 'the people who believes'), incorrect verb tenses and aspect ('gradually caused', 'would be take months'), and missing articles. Punctuation is particularly weak, evidenced by missing spaces after semicolons and commas, such as 'considerable;however both'. While meaning is generally recoverable despite these errors, the high frequency of non-systematic grammatical mistakes prevents the essay from reaching a Band 6.0, placing it at a Band 5.0.
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.