Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-01

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)

Nowadays in a number of countries , some people think it iis necessary to spend large amount of money on constructing a new railway lines for very fast trains between cities . Others believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport . In my opinion , we should spent a money on constructing new railway lines because its helpful for students and employes to reach their destination on time . It also provide a relax and comfortable seating area for older and ladies . It is also usefull in emergency suitations.

There are several reasons why people believe it is necessary to spent large amount of money on constructing new railway lines. One major reaosn is that , its more helpful for students and employes because professional peoples must reach their destination on time . It also help the people in emergency suitations . For example , if a student going for exam they must choose the fastest transport for reaching examhal on time , unfortunently they cannot attend the exam due to transport issues they face failure just because of slow transport. As a result , → Fast trains reduce travel time and traffic congestion between cities.

Another hand , some people think the money should be spent on improving existing public transport . There are alot of reaons of spent a money on existing transport .One major reaosn is that those people think we use a less money on exsiting think and we can improve transport and use a major amount of money into other public facilities instead of constructing a new transport or railwau lines for fast trains . For an instance , we spent a their money on improving hospitals and educational institue . Therefore , providing a major facillities on a one place .

In conclusion , some people think its is necessary to spent large sums of money on new railway line for very fast trains and others believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport because these people think we use this money into different on same time or place . in my opinion , we should spent a money on construsting a new fastest transport because it is more usefull for professionals like students or workers .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views—constructing new high-speed rail lines and improving existing public transport—and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited and sometimes repetitive, which places the response at this level. While the writer mentions relevant points such as helping students, employees, and assisting in emergencies, these ideas are underdeveloped and lack strong, specific supporting evidence. For instance, the example provided about a student missing an exam is somewhat simplistic and wanders into fragmented notes towards the end of the second paragraph with '→ Fast trains reduce travel time and traffic congestion between cities.' To progress further, the writer needs to extend each main point with fully elaborated explanations and concrete real-world examples rather than relying on brief, generalized assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some organization through the use of standard paragraphing and basic signposts such as 'In a number of countries', 'Others believe', 'Another hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow between sentences is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or awkward, such as 'Another hand' instead of 'On the other hand', and referencing is occasionally unclear. Furthermore, repetitive phrasing within paragraphs—such as repeatedly stating 'some people think' and 'spent a money'—hampers smooth progression. To achieve a higher band, the writer must use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices, ensure seamless transitions between ideas, and maintain a clearer, more logical progression from introduction to conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, featuring frequent errors in word choice, word form, and spelling that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Throughout the text, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies, such as 'employes' instead of 'employees', 'suitations' instead of 'situations', 'examhal' instead of 'exam hall', and repetitive misuse of phrasing like 'spent a money'. The range of vocabulary is restricted, relying heavily on basic, everyday terms with little awareness of style, collocation, or less common lexical items. To improve lexical resource, the writer needs to expand their vocabulary range, learn correct word forms and spellings, and incorporate more precise, topic-specific terminology related to transportation and infrastructure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences alongside a few clumsy attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including persistent issues with verb forms and tenses (e.g., 'we should spent a money'), article usage, plurals ('institue' for 'institutes', 'railwau' for 'railway'), and prepositions. Punctuation errors are also notable, particularly the persistent misuse of spaces before commas and periods (e.g., 'countries , some people'). These frequent errors can cause occasional difficulty and distraction for the reader. To move up to higher bands, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex grammatical structures, eliminate basic agreement and tense errors, and refine punctuation and sentence variety.

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

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