Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-18

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)

In numerous countries, a considerable proportion of people believe that it is crucial to spend a large amount of money on developing new railway lines for the facility of very fast trains between domestic areas. While others believe that instead this money should be spent on improving already existing public report. In this essay, we will discuss both views.

A numerous amount of people think that a large amount should be used for constructing fastest trains with in the country because it will save time of traveling from one city to another. The existing ways of commuting are generally not as fast. For instance, the public transports takes so much time to move with in a city due to traffic issues.If the goverment invest on fastest trains, it will become the fastest way of travel to reach on time because it will have a sperate route.

On the other side, some people believe that the money should be used to improve the already existing public transport which is buses. In some places the ecxisting transports like buses are so damaged and uncomfortable that made the traveling difficult. They believe that this money can be used for new buses or trains. People can use buses and trains to travel between cities. This money should be used for the maintenance of already existing transports which requires less budget than constructing a new railway lines.

In conclusion, money should be spent on the existing public transport for its maintenance. Fastest train can also be a good option but it requires a lot of money, but the seperate routes will reduce the traveling time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a clear preference in the conclusion: you favour maintaining existing transport because it costs less, while acknowledging that faster trains could reduce travel time. The examples about traffic and uncomfortable or damaged buses are relevant. However, the discussion is uneven and the ideas remain under-developed. The case for high-speed rail is mainly that it is faster and has a separate route; the benefits and limitations of improving buses and trains are also asserted rather than explained in detail. The opening says the essay will discuss both views, but your own position is not clear until the conclusion. State your view earlier and develop each side with a specific consequence or example, such as who would benefit and why.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other side” and “In conclusion” help identify the stages of the argument. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, and some references are unclear. For example, “this money” is repeated without always specifying which proposal it refers to, while “which is buses” makes the relationship between public transport and buses awkward. The opening also ends with a plan to discuss both views but does not introduce your position. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and make references explicit rather than relying on repeated general phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “constructing,” “commuting,” “maintenance,” and “traveling time,” so the main ideas can be understood. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the reader pause. Examples include “public report” for public transport, “for the facility of very fast trains,” and “a numerous amount of people.” Spelling errors such as “goverment,” “ecxisting,” and “seperate” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural combinations and avoid repeating “large amount” and “money.” For instance, you could use “investment in high-speed rail,” “existing transport network,” and “commuters” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “If the goverment invest on fastest trains, it will become the fastest way.” However, complex attempts are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect clarity. For example, “the public transports takes” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “A numerous amount of people think” is not grammatically formed. The opening fragment beginning “While others believe” is also not a complete sentence. Work on building complete clauses and checking agreement and articles; for example, use “If the government invests in high-speed trains, they could reduce travel time.” More accurate control of these patterns would make your argument easier to read.

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