Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-15

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 that plenty of individuals have thought about transportation as some of them think that it is crusial to spend most of the income on railway tracks, others believe that wealth should be spent on improving public transportation. I will discuss both views and will give my own opinion.

On the one hand, railway tracks are crusial for every country as individuals who travel to long destination may use this track. In addition it is important for government to spend large amount of wealth on building of new railway lines for fast trains. For instance in pakistan the structure of railway track is very old and some time the major accidents occur due to deload of train.

On the other hand, public transportation is also important for every country, individuals who want to travel inside the city have to use local buses. In addition the order of transportation is also bad. For example whenever i travel in bus i always feel disgusted due to the crowd and ambiance of bus.

In my opinion, funds should be spent on both transportaion because both are crusial for public. Individuals who want to travel outside of city may have to use railway track and pupils who want to travel inside the city catch the buses route.

In coclusion, fast tracks for railways are important for our country because the system in our country is old as for as transportaion. So a large amount of wealth should be spent on both categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the discussion and state a position: “funds should be spent on both” forms a clear, relevant opinion. The examples about Pakistan’s ageing railway system and crowded buses also connect to the topic. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The railway paragraph mentions accidents but does not explain how new high-speed lines would address this problem or why they merit large investment. Similarly, the bus example describes discomfort without explaining how improving existing services could benefit city residents. Your conclusion also shifts emphasis toward railway tracks, so your balanced position is less consistent there. Develop each view with a reason and a specific consequence, and keep your final position aligned with the opinion stated in the body.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, with “In addition” and “For instance” linking points that are not fully explained. The opinion paragraph repeats the contrast between travel outside and inside the city rather than extending the argument, and the conclusion’s focus on railway tracks weakens the connection to your stated support for both forms of transport. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and avoid repeating the same point in different sections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant transport vocabulary, including “railway lines,” “fast trains,” “public transportation,” and “local buses,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive, which makes parts of the response less natural. “Wealth” is repeatedly used where “funding” or “public investment” would fit better, while “the order of transportation” does not clearly express the condition or quality of the service. There are also spelling errors in “crusial,” “transportaion,” and “coclusion.” Aim for more precise transport-related vocabulary and check spelling carefully; this will make your ideas easier to understand and help you avoid repeating the same general terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including relative clauses such as “individuals who want to travel inside the city,” and the main message is usually understandable. However, complex sentences are often awkwardly joined or incomplete in structure. For example, the opening sentence links contrasting ideas with a comma, creating a run-on sentence, and “individuals who want to travel inside the city have to use local buses” is joined to the next idea without a clear sentence boundary. There are also errors in articles, plurals, and verb forms, as in “large amount of wealth” and “some time the major accidents occur.” Practise separating independent clauses and checking agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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