Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-06

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)

Nowadays, many countries are investing a large amount of money in constructing new railway lines for very fast trains whereas other countries are investing in public transport. Many people argue that investing on railway lines is necessary for fast travelling while others believe that money should be invest on improving existing public transport. As far as my opinion is concerned, I believe that money should be spent in constructing railway lines for fast transport between cities.

Now, I will explain the reason for both views and also for my own choosed opinion.

The main advantage of investing on railway lines is time. Because many workers have to arrive on time and some buisness persons also need to attend different meetings on time. And for this purpose, train is the best choice because it will help you to be on time.

For example, if a buisness man has to attend an important meeting in another city on a specific date and when that date comes, the rain starts. Then the buisness man will choose railway because he know that the railway is available at any time while on the other hand, it is possible that the public transport may be off on that day ydue to heavy rain.

Mnay people are investing on public tarnsport because they are also helpful to travel in different parts of a city. We will go to any part of the city and at any specific location by using public transport. On the other hand, railway is not available for travelling in any part of the city because they are made for fast travellling to diffferent cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While both views regarding fast railway lines and public transport are acknowledged, the ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on why people invest in high-speed trains relies on a single repetitive example about a businessman and the rain. Furthermore, the writer's position is stated, but it is not consistently supported throughout the body paragraphs with robust reasoning or varied evidence. The introduction also copies eight words directly from the prompt, which are excluded from the official count. To achieve a higher level, the writer needs to extend all arguments fully and provide distinct, well-reasoned points for both sides rather than looping back to the same basic concepts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation evident in the essay, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into paragraphs, including an introductory paragraph and a concluding transitional sentence ('Now, I will explain the reason...'), which disrupts the natural flow and feels mechanical rather than academic. Cohesive devices are used rather repetitively and sometimes inaccurately, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Because' or 'And', which affects the logical linkage between ideas. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, particularly with pronoun use like 'We will go to any part...' in the fourth paragraph. To improve coherence, the writer should ensure each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one without meta-linguistic interruptions, and employ a wider, more natural range of cohesive ties.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as 'constructing', 'investing', and 'travelling', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling, such as 'choosed', 'buisness', 'ydue', and 'Mnay'. Additionally, phrasing such as 'invest on' instead of 'invest in' demonstrates a lack of precision in collocation. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors cause some difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, ensure correct word forms and spellings, and pay closer attention to natural collocations associated with formal essay writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic sentence patterns. When the writer attempts more complex forms, they are frequently faulty, such as in the clause 'when that date comes, the rain starts. Then the buisness man will choose...', which disrupts sentence boundaries and punctuation control. Frequent errors are present in verb forms, tenses, and prepositions, including 'invest that money should be invest on' and subject-verb agreement issues. These errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with accurate punctuation, ensuring better control over verb complementation and clause coordination.

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