Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Public transport is one of the biggest necessity for a common man to commute day to day and the government strives to make it more affordable, accessible and convenient for the people. As the topic of discussion is whether we've to build new rail lines or strive for the betterment of the existing transport methods, I would say that both the topics of discussion are equally important.

Firstly, speaking about the existing transport, it is necessary for the improvement of existing transport methods as everyday transport is bound to wear and tear. A regular check of all the vehicled and the tracks as well and the security checks are of utmost importance to ensure complete safety of the commuters.

The second topic of discussion is if government should spend money on building New commute lines, and my answer is yes. Ad the economy of the world is increasing, more people are moving into the suburbs and transport from and to their workplace and home becomes absolutely necessary. The government should work more on increasing the connectivity to places that does not have an existing rail line, after looking into all the aspects that favour to do so .

In my opinion, out of the two pounts of discussion i would support both the topics of discussions equally wiyh a little inclination towards the betterment and maintenance of existing transport as starting from scratch along with new vehicles for transport seems like a huge financial burden and might cause the increase in ticket fares which makes transport a slightly less affordable option to a common man

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, discussing both the construction of new high-speed rail lines and the improvement of existing public transport, while also providing a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat uneven and limited. For instance, the discussion on existing transport briefly mentions wear and tear and safety checks, but these points are not fully extended with specific explanations or examples. Similarly, the argument for new commute lines touches upon suburban migration and connectivity, yet the reasoning is generalized and lacks depth. Your position is clear from the introduction and reiterated in the conclusion, but to reach a higher level, each viewpoint needs more thorough explanation, supporting details, and deeper elaboration.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the final conclusion. Paragraphing is used adequately, separating the introduction, the discussion on existing transport, the view on new lines, and the final opinion. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of phrases like 'topic of discussion' and referencing devices that lack fluidity. While you successfully guide the reader through the main points, employing a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs would greatly enhance the overall flow and organizational structure of your writing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating your ideas regarding public transport and government spending. You make some attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'infrastructure-related terms' or phrases like 'financial burden' and 'suburbs'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as referring to transport as a 'biggest necessity' instead of 'necessity', and minor typographical errors like 'vehicled' instead of 'vehicles' and 'pounts' instead of 'points'. These lexical slips and occasional awkward phrasings do not impede overall communication, but expanding your range of precise vocabulary and ensuring accurate word forms will help elevate your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures such as conditional and reason clauses, as seen in sentences like 'As the economy of the world is increasing, more people are moving...'. However, attempts at complex sentences are frequently accompanied by errors in grammar and punctuation. There are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'one of the biggest necessity' and 'a common man', alongside punctuation errors like missing periods and run-on phrasing in the conclusion. While these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear, improving sentence structure accuracy and reducing frequent minor mistakes will be essential for reaching higher bands.

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