Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-21

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)

Nowadays, in a number of countries some individuals believe that it is necessary to spend large amount of money on building new railway lines for quick trains between cities because to adapt new techonology. while others believe the money should be spent on improving existing public transport because it is widely used.

On one hand, people are in the favor of spending a large amount on constructing new railway lines for quick transportation between cities. it is basically to adapt cutting-edge techonology beacause it far more comfortable and convient . people can reach to their destination more quickly as compared to todays train tranportation. for instance in china the concept of bullet train is considered a milestone beacause it is time consuming and benifical.

on the other hand, some individuals believe money should bre spent on improving existing public transport because of it is being used by majority of individuals as compared to trains. furthermore, it is more afforadable as compare to train. In my opinion spending money on existing public transport is more significant beacuse it will require less money to improve as compare to trains which is expensive. secondly, as it is widely used by improving it we can improve people lives to minimize road accidents which should be major aim.In addition a major delince will be seen in heatlh issues related to pollution and our environment will be safe and clean.

To conclude, for some individuals adapting new techonolgy is cruical to reach our destination quickly and comfortably. while for others improving the existed public transport by spending money is important because it si widely used and it can have benifits related to health wise and for environmental safety.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both proposed uses of funding and state a clear preference for improving existing public transport: “In my opinion spending money on existing public transport is more significant.” You also give relevant reasons, including affordability, broad use, road safety and pollution, and mention China’s bullet trains as an example for the opposing view. However, the arguments are only partly developed. The claim that better public transport would reduce accidents and health problems is not explained, and the example of China is asserted rather than connected to a specific benefit. The opening also gives little detail about why fast rail merits investment. Develop each main point with a clear explanation or example, and make the comparison between the two options more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The contrast markers “On one hand” and “on the other hand” help readers follow the discussion, while “In my opinion” makes your position easy to identify. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second body paragraph moves from affordability to your opinion, then to accidents and pollution without fully showing how these points connect. Some linking phrases are repetitive or awkward, and the conclusion largely repeats earlier claims rather than drawing them together. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each reason to its consequence; ensure each paragraph develops one main line of argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “railway lines,” “public transport,” “bullet train,” “affordable,” and “pollution,” so the main ideas can be understood. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, such as “widely used” and “spending money.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including “techonolgy,” “convinient,” “benifical,” and “delince,” which reduce accuracy and sometimes make the reader pause. Some combinations are unnatural, for example “time consuming” to describe a benefit of bullet trains and “health wise.” Build a more precise set of transport-related expressions and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a reason clause with “because” and a conditional structure in “by improving it we can improve people lives.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence boundaries, articles, agreement and clause construction occur throughout. For example, “while others believe” begins with a lowercase letter after a full stop, and “because of it is being used” combines incompatible structures. In “it far more comfortable,” the verb is missing, while “people lives” lacks the possessive form. These problems can make some relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise accurate sentence patterns first, then add complex clauses, and proofread punctuation, articles and verb forms.

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