Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-25

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 many countries, some people think it is important to spend large amounts 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. In this essay, I will discuss the both views and at the end give my opinion.

First of all, spending large amount of money in the construction of new railway lines is beneficial amd convenient for the citizens. The government must provide the facility of fast trains between cities, as the people came to work in big cities from different small cities. This fast train service would make travel much easier for the locals and for the toursits too. For example, the bullet train of Japan is famous aroud the world for its high speed and people of Japan find it very convenient as that service made their life easier to travel and also attracts the tourists to have experience in one of those bullet trains. If other countries spent heavy amount to provide the same service in their country within the people will appreciate the efforts of government.

On the other hand, improving the current public transport is very essential to secure the investment of past. The government should have to take proper steps and work in the structural way in the benefit of economy of country. The government should not abandon the betterment of existing public tranport. Its the responsibility of authority to maintain a check and balance between the existing public transport and new development projects.

In my opinion, the existing public services must be taken care properly but getting new fast trains between cities is very positive development in the country. Despite, it takes the huge amount to be done this facility will help the people in future by making their travel easier and convenient they don't have to spend hours to travel from one city to the other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a position: you support maintaining existing services while also favouring new fast trains. The Japan bullet-train example is relevant and helps illustrate the potential benefits of investment. However, the discussion is uneven. The case for new lines is explained through convenience and tourism, but the argument for improving current transport is mostly asserted, with little detail about what should be improved or how this would benefit passengers. Your final opinion is also somewhat qualified rather than fully explained. Develop each side with a specific reason and example, and make the basis for your preference clearer. The response meets the task’s length requirement; 25 words copied from the prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, and a concluding opinion. Signposts such as “First of all” and “On the other hand” make the shift between arguments easy to follow. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and some links between ideas are unclear. For instance, the sentence beginning “If other countries spent…” does not clearly complete the point about what citizens would appreciate. The conclusion also moves quickly from maintaining existing services to supporting new trains without explaining how these priorities fit together. Use clearer links between claims and supporting explanations, and make references such as “that service” and “this facility” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss transport investment, including “railway lines,” “public transport,” “bullet train,” and “tourists.” There are also attempts at more formal expressions, such as “structural way” and “balance between” existing services and new projects. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, and spelling errors are noticeable: “amd,” “aroud,” “toursits,” and “tranport.” Phrases such as “heavy amount” and “secure the investment of past” make some ideas harder to understand. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the “substantial cost” of a project and the need to “protect previous investment” in existing transport.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a reason clause in “as the people came to work in big cities” and a contrast introduced by “On the other hand.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are faulty or incomplete. “The government should have to take proper steps” combines modal forms incorrectly, while “If other countries spent heavy amount … within the people will appreciate” has an unclear conditional structure. The final sentence also joins several ideas without clear punctuation or grammatical connections. Review articles and agreement as well: “large amount” needs a plural form here, and “Its the responsibility” needs an apostrophe. Build complex sentences carefully and check each clause for a clear subject and verb.

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