Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-11

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 4.0)

Whether the government should spend a huge amount of money in construction or rehabilitation of railway lines has become widely debated topic. While some people argue that government should construct new railway lines, I believe rehabilitation of the old ones is practical as this will reduce government expenditure and save time.

Construction of new railway line will deplete tax payers money since construction of new railway line needs a huge sum of money.Although government funding, which can be attributed to public demand, fosters immediate benefits , the prvision of essential services like healthcare should be priotised.For instance,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response gives a clear preference for rehabilitating existing railway lines, and it offers one relevant reason: this would reduce government expenditure. It also begins to discuss the cost of new construction and mentions healthcare as a competing priority. However, the task asks you to discuss both views, and the case for very fast new railways is not explained; the opposing view is only briefly acknowledged. Your own position is stated but not developed with supporting examples or a complete explanation. The response is also substantially below the required 250 words, so there is not enough content to address the task adequately. Develop each side with reasons and examples, then explain why your preferred investment is better overall.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic overall direction: the opening introduces the debate and states your preference, followed by a paragraph beginning to explain the cost of new railway construction. The contrast signalled by “While” helps connect the two positions. However, the response ends abruptly at “For instance,” and the ideas do not progress into a complete argument or conclusion. The second paragraph also combines several points—construction costs, public demand and healthcare—without showing clearly how they relate. Use separate paragraphs for the two views and your opinion, and make each paragraph develop one main idea. Complete examples and a concluding sentence would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “construction,” “rehabilitation,” “railway lines,” “public demand” and “essential services.” Phrases such as “deplete tax payers money” and “government expenditure” show an attempt to express costs in a more formal way. However, several choices are inaccurate or awkward, which limits clarity: “deplete tax payers money” is not a natural collocation, and “construction or rehabilitation of railway lines” is an imprecise way to frame the investment choice. There are also spelling errors in “prvision” and “priotised.” Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, use “use taxpayers’ money” and “prioritised.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts some complex sentence structures, particularly “While some people argue that …, I believe …” and the relative clause “which can be attributed to public demand.” These show some range, and the main position remains understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. The opening says “has become widely debated topic,” missing the article “a”; “government should” also needs an article or plural form. There are missing spaces after full stops, and the final “For instance,” leaves a sentence incomplete. Practise checking articles and sentence boundaries, and ensure every example is followed by a complete sentence. A wider range of accurately controlled sentences would make the argument clearer.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.