Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-14

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)

It is often argued whether governments should allocate significant financial resources toward constructing high speed rail networks or focus on upgrading the public transport for the sake of the people living in that country.

While, high speed rail enhances connectivity and boosts economic growth.I believe that the government should prioritize the public transport that should be very beneficial for the public.Because it overall boosts the economy and betters the progress of the country which is very important for the global position .

On the other hand ,supporters of high speed rail argue that fast train connections provide immense economic and environmental benefits.Firstly,the bullet trains are very mordernlized that shortens our distance and helps to reach our destination on time.For instance, the major countries like Japan and China have seen significant economic growth to financial hubs via high speed railways.Furthermore,fast rail serves as an eco friendly alternative to domestic flights and long car journeys,thereby reducing the overall intercity travel.

However, the public transport should be make better and funds should be directed toward modernizing current public transit networks.The major reason that the vast amount of majority uses the buses,local transports

everyday to go to work,school and different places.Investing in the public transport may reduce a large amount of pollution,traffic and many others things which should be very beneficial for the people as well as government.For example, adding extra bus lanes or upgrading city metro lines can immediately reduce traffic congestion in crowded urban centers and reduce air pollution.

In conclusion,both high speed railways and funding to public transport is beneficial foe the sake of people and government because it plays a role in modern transportation strategy.Therefore,goevernment should aim to strike a balance by allocating funds to both areas or sectors according to thier priorities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and give a position: you favour improving public transport, while also recognising benefits of high-speed rail. Relevant support includes the examples of Japan and China, and the suggestion of bus lanes and metro upgrades. This meets the task, but the two views are not developed equally. The case for high-speed rail is supported with broad claims about economic growth and environmental benefits, without explaining how these benefits arise or giving a specific example. Your own position also shifts in the conclusion, where you recommend balancing investment in both areas rather than clearly maintaining your earlier priority for public transport. Explain the trade-offs and keep your opinion consistent throughout to develop the response more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the main discussion, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “However” indicate contrast. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weakened by abrupt or unclear connections. The opening of the second paragraph, “While, high speed rail enhances connectivity…”, is not smoothly connected to the following opinion, and the sentence beginning “Because it overall boosts the economy” is left as a fragment. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “For example.” Use complete sentences and connect each supporting point explicitly to the paragraph’s main claim; clearer referencing would also help the argument flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of transport and policy vocabulary, including “connectivity,” “economic growth,” “eco friendly alternative,” “traffic congestion,” and “urban centers.” These choices make the topic clear, and there are attempts to use more specific language than basic everyday terms. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision, such as “shortens our distance,” “vast amount of majority,” and “reduce the overall intercity travel.” Spelling and word-form errors, including “mordernlized,” “goevernment,” and “thier,” also affect the impression of control. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe trains as “reduce travel times” rather than “shorten our distance,” and refer to “the majority of commuters” rather than “vast amount of majority.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “the public transport that should be very beneficial” and a participial phrase in “thereby reducing…”. The main ideas are generally understandable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “While, high speed rail enhances connectivity and boosts economic growth.I believe…” creates a comma splice and lacks a space after the full stop; “Because it overall boosts the economy” is a dependent clause used as a sentence; and “the public transport should be make better” has an incorrect verb form. Practise joining clauses with appropriate conjunctions, using complete sentences, and checking subject–verb and verb-form patterns. More accurate control of these basics would make your complex ideas easier to follow.

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