Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-05

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 5.0)

It is believed by some people that in a number of nations that it is important to spend a large number of amount on new railway lines new fast trains. While others argue that, governments should spent money on existing public transportation. This essay will discuss both views and my personal opinion.

On the one hand some people think that it is necessary to spend large sums of money on new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. First of all it is under new development there are a lot of benefits if new railway lines built because, there are many areas are now exist which are too far from railway lines so, if new trains coming then it is advantage for countryside people. Furthermore, it is also beneficial for villagers to take their products in cities and sell them with very good profit margin Secondly, fast trains also helps individuals to reach at their destination on time foer instance, students and job people.

On the other hand, some people say that money should spent on existing transportation. It have a lot of benefits, first of all, the money which is spend on new transportation it is saved and spent on the other facilities in the upcoming time such as on education, healthcare and businesses. Secondly, a large number of public transportation are available now but the condition of some transportation is not maintained. Therefore, it is necessary to renovate previous tranportation.

In conclusion, according to my personal opinion government need to develop new transportation but as well as also necessary to maintain previous transportation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, and the length requirement is not met, as the response is three words short of the two hundred and fifty-word minimum (with nineteen words copied from the prompt excluded). While the essay touches on both views regarding fast trains and existing public transport and provides a personal opinion, the position is not always clear throughout and the ideas are limited and under-developed. For instance, the arguments regarding villagers selling products and saving money for healthcare are stated briefly without sufficient extension or concrete examples. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to fully develop all parts of the prompt with well-supported arguments and meet the minimum word count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation with clear paragraph breaks, such as separating the two views and the conclusion, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate, inaccurate, or overused, and referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, expressions like 'First of all', 'Furthermore', and 'Secondly' are used repetitively and sometimes mechanically. Additionally, the transition between sentences lacks smooth logical flow, particularly in the body paragraphs where clauses run together without proper punctuation or conjunctions. To improve in this area, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more accurately and ensure that each paragraph builds logically toward a clear central theme.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary range is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic ideas about transportation. The writer attempts some less common terms and phrases, such as 'profit margin', but there are noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and collocation that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Examples of lexical inaccuracies include phrases like 'spend a large number of amount' instead of 'spend a large amount of money', 'job people' instead of 'commuters' or 'employees', and 'previous transportation' instead of 'existing public transport'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but precise word choice needs significant strengthening to achieve higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer uses a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic complex forms. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader. Notable errors include grammatical inaccuracies such as 'in a number of nations that it is important', 'if new railway lines built', 'fast trains also helps', and 'money should spent'. There are also run-on sentences and missing punctuation marks that disrupt readability. To improve, the writer must focus on mastering basic sentence structures, improving verb forms, and ensuring correct agreement and article usage.

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