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)

It is mandatory to spend money on making new railway lines because when new railway lines are constructed they are design to the latest facilities and updatedtechnology version this is the need of the modern era. To overcome the miles of distance from one city to another this would be beneficial. On the other hand; some people have the belief that money should be spend on pre existing public transport with the addition of new facilities like Air conditioner, peaceful seaters and all the stuff. They also said public transport must have the appropriate fare to take from all the passengers so that anyone can take advantage from this mode of transport.

l personally support the argument that we should spend on making new railway lines between cities in a modern infrastructure so that distance from one city to another city will be covered more conveniently. For instance china recently introduced the trains who are elaborated in domain of modern dyanamis covers hundred miles distance more quickly they invested handsome amount on their public transport which is very good for the society. Another example is that in Pakistan The region of Punjab New Electric buses lounged in recent year which have the quite benefits advantage to the people of Punjab by this variety addition of this transport people have the more relaxing calm and peace gul travel especially for elder people who have some serious health concerns. So, Collectively these transport facilities should be developed for overcoming the issue of travelling money should be spend on this domain.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both constructing new railway lines and improving existing public transport, and it includes a clear personal position. However, the ideas are rather limited and under-developed. For example, the arguments regarding modern facilities and reducing travel distance are stated simply without deep elaboration. Similarly, the alternative view focusing on existing transport amenities and fair pricing is mentioned briefly. While the writer attempts to support their position with examples from China and Pakistan, these examples remain general and lack specific, well-integrated details. To reach a higher level, the ideas need to be extended with more thorough explanations and fully supported arguments that directly address all implications of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the essay, with a distinct introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion structure, and the writer attempts to link ideas using transitional phrases like 'On the other hand' and 'For instance'. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow is occasionally disrupted by run-on sentences and a lack of proper punctuation, such as missing full stops between distinct thoughts in the first paragraph. Furthermore, cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive or inaccurate, and referencing becomes slightly unclear, such as the transition into the examples about China and Pakistan. Improving paragraph division, ensuring each paragraph has a singular focused theme, and using a wider, more accurate variety of cohesive markers will enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey basic concepts related to transport. There are notable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'peaceful seaters', 'dyanamis', and 'lounged' instead of 'launched'. Additionally, spelling and word-form inaccuracies are present, including 'spend' used instead of 'spent' and 'dyanamis' for 'dynamics'. These errors and limitations create noticeable strain for the reader. To achieve a stronger lexical score, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use less common lexical items with greater precision and stylistic awareness, and carefully proofread for spelling and word-form accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on basic sentences alongside attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage, such as missing capitals, run-on sentences without punctuation, and incorrect verb forms like 'trains who are elaborated'. Frequent errors cause difficulty and strain for the reader, particularly when parsing long, unstructured sentences. To progress further, the writer should focus on strengthening their control over sentence boundaries, ensuring accurate subject-verb agreement, and producing a higher proportion of error-free complex structures.

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

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