Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-25

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 some countries, most people believe that we should spend a large amount of money on the construction of new railway lines for fast trains between cities, while some people think we should spend our money on existing transport. In my opinion, I believe that we should spend our money to improve the condition of existing transport.

On the one hand, some people think that we should spend money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. Due to this, people can easily travel between cities. It will be a good initiative by the government to spend money on new railway lines. Furthermore, due to the facility of trains people can easily commute. We can covered the distance in a short time. For instance, the railway lines from Karachi to Lahore saves a lot of time and people can travel easily without any problem. The government should also also spend money on small cities like Sahiwal, so that the people can also facilitate from this.

On the other hand, some people believe that we should spend money on existing transport because it can be easily improved and does not required a lot of money and time. If we improved the condition of existing transport like buses and metro. Now a days, people mostly preferred to travel through bus and metro because these are the most convenient option. Moreover, if the government if the improved the condition of buses through which we can travel between cities and inside the cities. For example, young people will move more to cities for jobs and education because due to improved buses commuters can commute easily.

To conclude, I believe that trains are the fastest way of travel but we should spend money on improving existing transport because it saves our time and money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—constructing new high-speed rail lines versus improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as mentioning faster travel times for high-speed rail and lower costs for upgrading existing buses. However, some arguments are repetitive and remain somewhat under-developed rather than fully extended. For instance, the discussion regarding Karachi to Lahore and Sahiwal introduces good examples, but the elaboration remains basic. The response reaches a sufficient length to satisfy the task requirements. Overall, the performance aligns with the Band 6 descriptors because it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, though some parts are slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, utilizing standard introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty, as seen in repetitive sentence structures and awkward referencing like 'the government if the improved the condition'. Logical progression is generally maintained throughout the body paragraphs, but the flow is occasionally disrupted by minor tracking errors and repetitive phrasing. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, corresponding well to the requirements of Band 6 where the overall arrangement is coherent despite mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully communicating key concepts related to transport infrastructure. Examples such as 'construction of new railway lines', 'convenient option', and 'commuters can commute easily' show a satisfactory command of everyday topics. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies, word-choice errors, and awkward collocations, such as 'we can covered the distance', 'the people can also facilitate from this', and 'does not required a lot of money'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are sporadic and occasionally imprecise. Spelling is generally accurate, but these vocabulary limitations and word-form errors place the response firmly in the Band 6 category, reflecting an adequate range that allows for basic communication despite inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student produces a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures using conditionals and relative clauses (e.g., 'If we improved the condition of existing transport like buses and metro'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'most people believe that we should spend', 'does not required', and 'if the government if the improved the condition'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips recur throughout the text. These errors do not seriously impede overall communication, but they restrict the range of error-free sentences. This performance fits the Band 6 criteria, which highlights a mix of simple and complex sentence forms accompanied by some persistent grammatical errors.

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