Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-02

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)

There are a number of people in a number of countries who think that it is necessary to spent a large sum of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities while there are some people who think that money should be spent on improving existing public transport. Both of the ideas are correct according to some certain conditions.

First, the people who think that new and faster railways should be construced between cities. If the older railway lines are becoming out-dated then it is necessary to construct new railway lines between cities which can benifit both the people and the economy of a country. There are many countries that are spending a large sum of money on bullet trains for faster and more comfortable transportation between different cities. It is also helping in faster transportation of goods to help local bussinesses.

While the others think that the money should be spent to improve the existing public transport. It is a cost effective method if the older public transport is not completely out-dated. They say that if the existing trasport is improved it can save alot of money which can be used on other things that are also important and needed to be improved.

I think both of the ideas are good for certain needs if the existing transport is not working properly at all then new railway lines should be constructed but if they are working then money should only be spent to improve it because it can save alot of money that can be spent to improve other things. There are many countries that improved there existing public transport for it cost effectiveness but some constructed new lines like Japan built bullet trains.

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 versus improving existing public transport—and presents a clear position throughout, concluding that the choice depends on the condition of current infrastructure. However, the development of ideas is uneven. For instance, the paragraph discussing the benefits of bullet trains mentions that they help local businesses and transportation, but these points are somewhat under-developed and lack specific supporting examples beyond a brief mention of Japan later in the text. To reach a higher level, the writer would need to fully extend and support all main arguments with deeper explanations or more detailed real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and paragraphs are used to separate the different viewpoints discussed. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the way body paragraphs are introduced and connected. Phrases like 'First, the people who think that...' and 'While the others think that...' create a formulaic structure that lacks smooth transitions. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the pronoun use in the concluding paragraph referring back to complex ideas. To improve coherence and cohesion, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure that logical relationships between sentences flow more naturally without relying on repetitive templates.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'infrastructure', 'cost effective', and 'out-dated'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that reflect limitations in lexical control, such as 'spent' instead of 'spend', 'benifit' instead of 'benefit', 'bussinesses' instead of 'businesses', and 'trasport' instead of 'transport'. While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher score. To reach the next level, the writer needs to expand their control of less common lexical items, improve precision in word choice and collocations, and eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures with conditional clauses and relative pronouns, such as 'If the older railway lines are becoming out-dated then it is necessary to construct new railway lines...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies and awkward phrasing like 'spent a large sum of money' instead of 'spend'. Despite these occasional errors, the meaning is generally clear and they rarely impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater frequency and maintain a higher proportion of error-free sentences.

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