Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29

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 recent times, in several nations, some people agree that it is necessary to make expenditure in large amounts, for the construction of new railway line, for faster trains between cities. While others oppose this, they believe that, money should be spend wisely, on the improvement of existing public transport. In my opinion, the new railway lines should be build and in an environment friendly manner.

Initially, i agree with the individuals who think that large amount of expenditure should me made in order to create a new and faster railway transport, for the convenience of residents. The population is increasing, but the transportation is same and slow, so new railway lines should be build, either to reduce the travelling time or to reduce the crowded trains. While building the new the railway lines, they can create it eco-friendly, by making them electric which is more faster, but is expensive but beneficial.

However, other people argue that, existing public transport should be improvised and money should be spent on that in order to improve its condition. Many people are used to of it, as they uses it regularly, or using it from a longer period. These public transports can be upgraded or they can improve its situation, so that more people prefer to use it. They can make the existing public transport environment friendly by various ways.

In conclusion, many people believe that constructing the new railways between cities with a faster speed and a huge expenditure on it, is a better option than spending on the existing public transport, because of its various benefits. In my opinion, building a brand new and faster railway line will be more beneficial.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—building new high-speed rail lines and improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the student argues that new lines will reduce travel time and crowding, but this point is expressed simply without much elaboration. The conclusion slightly contradicts the prompt's instruction by focusing heavily on one side rather than fully summarising both views before presenting the opinion. Overall, the ideas are relevant, but greater depth and more precise examples are needed to reach a higher band. This performance best aligns with Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall arrangement with a traditional four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, cohesion is often faulty or mechanical. The student relies heavily on basic transitional markers like "Initially," "However," and "In conclusion," some of which are used inaccurately (e.g., "Initially" is not appropriate for introducing a main body argument). Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the pronoun "they" in sentences like "they can create it eco-friendly," where the antecedent is ambiguous. Overall progression is present, but mechanical cohesive devices limit the score to Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas related to transportation and public spending, such as "expenditure," "convenience of residents," and "eco-friendly." However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation throughout the text. Examples include "make expenditure in large amounts" instead of "spend large amounts," "the transportation is same," and "the existing public transport should be improvised" instead of "improved." While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, persistent word-choice errors and a lack of sophisticated less common items place this response firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures with conditional or concessive clauses, such as "While building the new the railway lines, they can create it eco-friendly..." However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors in punctuation, article usage, and verb forms. Examples include comma splices and unnecessary commas (e.g., "some people agree that, it is necessary..."), subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., "as they uses it regularly"), and incorrect comparative structures (e.g., "more faster"). Although these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writer from achieving a Band 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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