Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-28

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)

Opinions are divided on whether in some parts of the world, it is essential to spend large amount of money on building new railway lines for fast moving trains between cities, or should the money be spent on the development of current public transport infrastructure. While both perspectives have some merit, I believe that more constructing new railway lines will enable travel to different cities.

On the one hand, proponents of improving current public transport argue that money should be spent on the the existing transport infrastructure for its further development. The rationale behind this is that population of the countries is increasing at remarable rates and the existent transport system isn't capable enough to cater this increasing demand. For example, people have to wait in long queues to purchase a ticket and board the train or a bus. In addition to this, 50% of the total passengers travelling through train or a bus do not get a chance to sit during their journey. Thus, it is understandable why some people hold this view that money should be spent on improving the current public transport sytem first.

On the other hand, I side with those who belive that large amount of money should be spent on building new railways lines connecting different citites. This perspective is stronger because these railway lines will provide a mode of transport to a large number of population. Fast moving trains will be deployed on these newly build lines reducing the time taken to travel inter-cities. A clear illustration of this is that these fast moving trains will connect new cities and making the journey quicker than old fashioned trains.

In conclusion, while there are some merits to improving the current transport system, I am of the opinion that the benefits of constructing new railway lines and using fast moving trains for inter-cities travel far outweigh the alternatives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on public transport expenditure—high-speed railways versus upgrading existing systems—and presents a clear personal position supporting the construction of new high-speed rail lines. The ideas are generally relevant, although some points in the body paragraphs and the thesis statement (such as the awkward phrasing in 'more constructing new railway lines will enable travel') lack full development and clarity. While the arguments regarding population growth and faster connectivity are understandable, they tend to generalise slightly. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are met adequately, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor where all parts are addressed with relevant ideas, though some areas remain slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a traditional four-paragraph structure. Information and ideas are logically sequenced, moving from an introduction to opposing views and finally a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally clumsy, as seen in the repetition of 'fast moving trains'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the distinct arguments. This fits the Band 6 descriptor well, as the organization is generally clear and logical, despite some mechanical transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'infrastructure', 'proponents', 'rationale', and 'cater this increasing demand'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling throughout the response, such as 'remarable' instead of remarkable, 'existent' instead of existing, and awkward phrasing like 'inter-cities travel'. Despite these lexical slips, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary remains minimally adequate for the discussion, which places the essay solidly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordinate clauses and relative structures. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures present, such as 'or should the money be spent' in the introduction, missing articles like 'population of the countries', and errors in verb forms such as 'newly build lines' instead of built. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher band, they rarely impede overall comprehension, reflecting the characteristics of a Band 6 performance.

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