Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 6.5)

In many nations, part of the population holds the view that governments should spend substantial amounts of money on the construction of new railway lines connecting cities whereas the other part believes that the same money should rather be spent on the betterment of existing public transport.

To start, we will consider view A, which prefers the construction of super fast inter city railways. Such railways will definitely make travel between cities much cheaper and effecient, especially with the exorbitant fuel prices of today. Additionally, the rate of pollution caused by ICE cars will also reduce since many people will prefer travelling via a cheaper and possibly faster method. However, such construction can cost billions on end which might take away money from other crucial sectors like education and healthcare.

Moving onto view B, it says that money should instead be invested into improving the existing public transport infrastructure. Many cities across the world have their own form of public transport and improving that existing system is much more cost effecient and benefits a larger part of the population. Since majority of the people spend most of the year in their own city, it can be considered more beneficial. Consequently, overhauling an existing system required extensive workarounds to allow people to go about their daily lives without problem. This method can not cater to everyone's needs and thus, might be a reason for dissent.

To conclude, I believe that spending miney on improivng the existing infrastructure is better since it is more cost effecient and it helps reduce carbon emissions at a greater scale.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both proposed uses of the money and state a clear preference for improving existing infrastructure, so the main parts of the task are addressed. The case for high-speed rail includes lower travel costs and reduced pollution, while the case for local transport notes that it serves more residents. However, some points are not developed equally: the concern that rail construction could divert funds from healthcare and education is introduced but not explained, and the final paragraph repeats your preference without adding much support. The discussion of disruption during upgrades is relevant, but its connection to the argument could be clearer. Develop each main claim with a specific explanation or example, and make the comparison between the two investments more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “To start,” “Moving onto view B,” and “To conclude” makes the progression easy to follow, and the reader can identify your position. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement and shows some effective organisation. However, the repeated formulaic transitions make cohesion somewhat mechanical, and phrases such as “view A” and “view B” are less natural than directly naming the proposals. The link between the disruption caused by upgrading transport and the claim that it may cause dissent also needs clearer explanation. Use more varied links and ensure each sentence follows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “construction,” “infrastructure,” “carbon emissions,” and “exorbitant fuel prices,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “overhauling an existing system.” However, some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “effecient” and “cost effecient” are misspelled, “miney” and “improivng” contain spelling errors, and “billions on end” is not a natural collocation. “Betterment” and “view A” also sound less appropriate in this formal discussion. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Prefer familiar, accurate collocations and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning with “since” and “which,” and most of the meaning remains clear. Sentences such as “Such railways will definitely make travel between cities much cheaper” are straightforward and controlled. Some grammatical errors remain, though they rarely impede communication. For example, “Since majority of the people” needs a determiner (“the majority”), and “overhauling an existing system required extensive workarounds” shifts awkwardly from the surrounding present-tense discussion; “requires” would fit better. In “This method can not cater,” the modal and negative should be written as one word, although that is primarily a spelling convention. Aim for consistent tense and check articles and sentence construction as you edit.

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