Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-12

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 6.0)

Some people believe that building the large network of fast railway lines between two urban areas require a significant budget for construction, while other believe that renovate the existing transportation system may be more beneficial for government. I believe that maintain the present traffic system is more convenient way as compared to construct new public transit system.

On the one hand, there are many developments are happens in the railway because it become more modern and covenient with the passage of time. In this contemporary era, fast train is become more popular in many countries as people easily travel to other city in short time. For instance, in China bullet train connect the Shangai and Beijing in 5 hours. It will boost tourism and buisness among these cities. In addition the fast trains are electric, and produce less polution as compared to planes and cars.

On the other hand, new fast trains only connect only big cities and tickets are very expensive. However, the people are travel by metro, buses ans local transport which is affordable for traveller. Therefore , the government should invest in maintainence of light signals, roads or buses which is affordable and cheap as compared to new railway lines. In Lahore the peoples are mostly travel by metro and orange trains in millions everyday the travelling between Lahore and Karachi is expensive only rich people are travel.

In conclusions, although building new high- speed railway has some advantages, i believe that iproving existing public transport is more important because it is more affordable and benefits a large number of peoples.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a consistent preference for improving existing transport, so the response meets the main requirements of the task. The case for high-speed rail includes reduced travel time, tourism and business benefits, and lower pollution than cars or planes. You also explain that existing services are more affordable and serve more people. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, the Lahore example does not clearly show how investment in maintenance would improve services, and the comparison with travel between Lahore and Karachi is difficult to follow. To strengthen the response, develop each example and explain more directly how it supports your argument, while giving the benefits of new rail lines similarly clear treatment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion that restates your position. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In addition” help readers follow the discussion. This gives the essay a coherent progression, although some connections are mechanical or unclear. For instance, “However” introduces the point about expensive trains, but the relationship between that point and the preceding benefits could be made more explicit. The Lahore and Karachi details also sit together without a clear explanation of their connection. Use linking phrases to show cause, contrast, or example more precisely, and ensure each paragraph develops one central line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “railway lines,” “public transport,” “affordable,” “tourism,” and “pollution,” and you attempt more specific expressions such as “light signals.” However, the range is limited in places, and inaccurate word choice, collocation, and spelling are noticeable. Examples include “renovate the existing transportation system,” “fast train is become more popular,” and “the peoples are mostly travel.” Spelling errors such as “covenient,” “buisness,” “polution,” and “maintainence” also reduce accuracy. Build a bank of natural transport-related collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “upgrade existing services” and “maintenance of roads and traffic signals” would make your ideas clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrastive opening and clauses introduced by “because” and “as.” This shows some range, but control is uneven, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. For example, “building … require” needs subject–verb agreement, while “other believe” and “fast train is become” have incorrect verb forms. In “the people are travel by metro,” the verb pattern is also faulty. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although your main meaning is generally recoverable. Practise forming accurate present-simple and present-perfect sentences, and check each sentence for a clear subject and correctly conjugated verb before adding more complex clauses.

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

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