Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27
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 4.0)
Nowadays, there is considrable debate regarding the spend money on construction .In a significant number of countries ,Although some people think that it is essencial to spend large amount of money to built new railway lines for train which can run fastly, on the other hand, some believe should be spend on enhancing current economical transport. I firmly beleve that money must spend on existing public transport's overall development.this essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why improving current transport is preferable.
To begin with,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
The response is severely under-length, containing only 85 words against the required 250-word minimum. This results in a heavy penalty under Task Achievement. While the student attempts to introduce the topic by mentioning the debate between spending money on fast trains versus improving existing public transport, the response stops abruptly after the introduction and the first sentence of the body paragraph ('To begin with,'). Consequently, neither of the two views is discussed, no personal position is properly developed, and the task is only addressed in the most minimal and fragmentary sense. To achieve a higher band score, you must write a complete essay that fully explores both perspectives and supports your opinion with relevant examples over at least 250 words.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The text demonstrates some basic organisational awareness by attempting a standard essay structure, including an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement ('this essay will discuss both perspectives') and an opening transition for the body paragraph ('To begin with,'). However, because the response cuts off mid-sentence, it is impossible to evaluate paragraphing, logical progression, or cohesive devices across a full essay. Reference words like 'the spend money' and punctuation errors also disrupt cohesion. Within the extremely limited text provided, the structural skeleton is visible, but coherence cannot be fully established due to the lack of developed content.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The student demonstrates a basic vocabulary with attempts at less common words, such as 'considerable', 'essential', and 'economical'. However, there are significant lexical and word-formation errors throughout the short text, including 'considrable' (spelling), 'spend money on construction' (awkward phrasing), 'essencial' (spelling), 'train which can run fastly' (incorrect adverb form 'fastly' instead of 'fast'), and 'beleve' (spelling). These errors indicate a limited control of word choice and spelling. To improve lexical resource, you should focus on accurate word forms, correct spellings, and more natural collocations when discussing transportation topics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The text contains a mixture of simple and attempted complex structures, such as the concessive clause 'Although some people think that...'. However, grammatical control is weak, with multiple noticeable errors including 'spend money on construction' instead of 'spending money on construction', 'should be spend' instead of 'should be spent', 'I firmly beleve that money must spend' (missing passive voice and spelling error), and punctuation errors such as missing spaces before commas and a missing capital letter at the start of a sentence ('this essay...'). These frequent errors restrict the grammar score, although the fundamental meaning of the opening statements remains just barely understandable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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