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)

Over the past few decades, the considerable proportion of citizens are facing problems while travelling. Some believe government should spend money on the train facilities to construct more railway lines while other believe they should spend money on the public transport and make them better. This essay will discuss both views and then i will give my opinion on that.

On the one hand, railway tracks play an important role in commuting particularly, if you want to travel from one country to another and as well as between two cities. So, if we spend funds on it and build more railway tracks then it will make our travelling comfortable. As in my country, there are very less trains and even railway stations are very small, so lot of people face difficulties here. In addition, quality of trains are very bad due to which lot of citizens avoid to travel by train, they choose other medium of transport in which they are comfortable and feel happy.

On the other hand, many individuals use public transport in their daily life espacially students and the ones who are doing jobs. The reason for them for choosing these public transport is that because they feel it convenient and also very cheap. For instance, in my country lot of students are using bus as public transport to go to their college. So, spending money on the public transport also makes your daily life easier particularly, for those people who don't have any medium of transport and usually prefer to travel by bus.

In conclusion, I would say both are important. Spending money on trains helps you to travel easily espacially, when you travel through large distance. Moreover, increasing facilities in public transport also provide a lot of advantages to the citizens espacially students who can't afford to travell by their own mediums.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both proposed uses of funding and give a concluding view that both are important, so the response addresses the main parts of the question. The examples about limited train services and students using buses make the discussion relevant. However, the position is not fully clear: the introduction promises an opinion, but the conclusion does not say which investment should receive priority or explain how the two should be balanced. Some points are also under-developed. For example, you say new railway lines would make travel more comfortable, but do not explain how very fast intercity trains would benefit cities or compare this with improving existing services. Develop each side with a clearer reason and a more specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and some links between ideas are unclear. In the first body paragraph, the move from international travel to travel between cities is not well connected to the specific proposal of very fast trains between cities. The phrase “So, if we spend funds on it” also has an unclear reference. In the second paragraph, “The reason for them for choosing” makes the relationship between the claim and its explanation difficult to follow. Use clearer references and connect each example directly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “railway tracks,” “public transport,” “commuting,” and “medium of transport.” There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “convenient” and “facilities.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, including repeated uses of “spend money,” “lot of people,” and “make…better.” Some collocations are unnatural, such as “a considerable proportion of citizens are facing problems” and “large distance.” Spelling errors, including “espacially” and “travell,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise transport-related vocabulary and check spelling; varying repeated phrases will make the argument clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using structures such as “if you want to travel…” and “due to which…” to explain reasons. The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, sentence construction, and punctuation remain noticeable. For example, “the considerable proportion of citizens are facing” has a mismatch between the singular subject and verb, while “other believe” should use a plural subject. In “quality of trains are very bad,” the subject and verb do not agree. Some sentences are awkwardly formed, such as “The reason for them for choosing these public transport is that because…” Use simpler, controlled sentence patterns where needed, and check subject–verb agreement and article use when editing.

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