Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-22

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 6.0)

Nowadays, the transportation has become a major need of people, so according to their need people have different opinion and point of view regarding the betterment of transport system.Some people believes that countries should spend huge amount of money on construction on new and fast railways for the facility of people, while some argues that money should be spent on previously public transport.Although both views have their merits, I partly agree that current public transport should be the main priority and needs more attention

On the one hand, fast trains and new railway lines can bring several benefits. Firstly these trains allow passengers to travel between cities in a very short period of time that saves a lot of time and making journey more convenient and comfortable for all people. Secondly, high speed trains play a very significant role in reducing traffic congestion on roads and lower the air pollution. For example, if people travelled through trains instead of their own cars between cities it automatically reduces the traffic on roads and through trains they reach very quickly to their destinations. Therefore investing in infrastructure of railway lines and fast trains may contribute in economic growth and improve connections between cities.

On the other hand, many people thinks that public transport needs more infrastructure because it’s very suitable and convenient for all categories of people. In many cities, buses, local trains and underground transportation are overcrowded, unreliable and poorly maintained. So spending money on increasing the number of buses, using high quality vehicles and focusing on improving infrastructure would make daily journey more enjoyable and comfortable. Moreover , affordable and reliable transport is more beneficial for students, workers and poor community. As a result, these improvements could improve millions of lives.

In my opinion, government should focus on public transportation instead of fast and new railway lines.

To sum up, while high speed railway lines provide faster journey but I believe that , public transport should be major priority because it is accessible and convenient for all people.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and give a clear preference for improving existing public transport, especially in the opening and concluding paragraphs. The benefits of high-speed rail are relevant: you mention faster journeys, reduced road congestion and lower air pollution. You also explain how better buses and local services could help students, workers and lower-income passengers. However, some points are asserted rather than fully developed. For instance, the claim that rail investment contributes to economic growth is not explained, and the example about people switching from cars remains general. Develop one or two points with a specific illustration, and make your partial agreement more precise so the reader understands when new rail lines might still be worthwhile.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The contrast between “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” helps guide the reader, while “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Moreover” make the supporting points easy to follow. This organisation is effective and shows progression, but some linking is mechanical, and the final paragraph largely repeats the opinion already stated in the introduction. The opening paragraph also packs several ideas into one long sequence, making the shift from the general context to the debate less smooth. Use clearer sentence boundaries and vary transitions by showing relationships such as cause, contrast, or consequence. Ensure references such as “these improvements” point unmistakably to the intended idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “traffic congestion,” “air pollution,” “overcrowded,” “unreliable,” and “infrastructure.” These terms help communicate the transport debate, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “contribute in economic growth,” although the collocation is inaccurate. Several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, including “convenient and comfortable” in both main arguments and “betterment of transport system.” Choose more natural collocations and use precise alternatives for repeated words. For example, describe services as “improved” or “upgraded,” and refer to “the public transport network” rather than “previously public transport.” This would make the vocabulary more controlled and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession (“Although both views have their merits”) and conditional phrasing (“if people travelled…”). Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “Some people believes” and “many people thinks” have subject–verb agreement errors; “a major need of people” and “construction on new” show problems with articles and sentence patterns. The opening also runs several clauses together without appropriate punctuation, and the conclusion has an awkward “while … but” construction. Review agreement, articles, and clause boundaries, then check each sentence for a complete and correctly connected structure. More accurate control of these forms would make your complex sentences clearer.

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