Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In various countries,some believe that government should allocate funds for new railway infrastructure, which connects inter-cities.Whereas,some argue that government should focus on the betterment of already present transport system.In my view,I believe new railways would have a lasting impact on the future.

Investing in new railway projects would mean,more advantageous step for the economy of the country.Furthermore,it will be a big step for reducing environmental polllution.It will save people from the typical traffic jams on highways,saving their time.Trains will have the ability to transport massive volumes at the same time as compared to buses.It can also play a major role in promoting tourism.Fast trains in Japan and France are alreading a leading examples for others.

Upgrading already exsiting public transport would mean saving money instead of setting up the system from scratch and it would be time consuming as well.Buses,coaches and taxis`s offer better and cheaper fares compared to trains.It offers frequent buses and relaible commute to a single place.You can easily change buses in no time.You can easily board a bus from anywhere feasible to you rather the going to specific stations as is the case for railways.Some major examples are present in London and Singapore,where major commute takes place through these buses.

Overall, If we take future into consideration developing new infrastructure for trains would be beneifical.It will provide employment oppurtunities. Hlep in building a better picture of our country in global world.Promote tourism and open the door to more investment offers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on railway infrastructure versus public transport improvement and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction. However, the length requirement is not met, as the response contains only 244 words against the minimum of 250 words. While relevant ideas are presented, such as the economic and environmental benefits of high-speed rail alongside the cost and flexibility benefits of existing transport, many of these ideas are under-developed or presented as a list of generalized assertions without sufficient explanation or specific support. For example, mentioning Japan and France adds a touch of external knowledge, but the points lack detailed elaboration to fully satisfy a higher standard of idea development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance and paragraph structure that separates the two opposing viewpoints and your personal conclusion. Progression is visible, moving logically from the introduction of both sides to the arguments for trains, then buses, and finally the conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, and referencing is not always clear. You rely on basic linking words like 'Furthermore' and 'Overall', and punctuation errors regarding spacing around commas and periods create a somewhat choppy flow. Paragraphing is utilized to separate key themes, but transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother and more logically integrated to enhance overall readability.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'infrastructure', 'allocate funds', and 'environmental pollution'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('polllution', 'exsiting', 'relaible', 'oppurtunities', 'beneifical') and awkward word formations or choices, such as 'inter-cities', 'betterment', and the punctuation slip in 'taxis`s'. While these lexical shortcomings and spelling mistakes do not entirely impede communication, they recur frequently enough to prevent the vocabulary score from reaching a higher level, showing a need for greater precision and care in word choice and orthography.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing exhibits a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic complex forms where attempts at complexity are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage, such as missing articles ('connects inter-cities', 'in global world'), incorrect prepositions ('rather the going'), and poor punctuation spacing throughout the text. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over sentence patterns and mechanics. To improve, you should focus on diversifying your sentence structures while ensuring that basic grammar, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation rules are applied accurately.

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