Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-30

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 6.5)

Nowadays, proponents argue that spending huge amount of investment on constructing new railway lines is a necessity as that will ensure faster transportation between cities. In contrast, critics contend that the amount should be allocated for existing public vehicles. While it is true that new railway lines can overall reduce the travel time between cities, I firmly believe that government should spend the money to update the existing structure first as it can help to accommodate a large number of people.

On the one hand, building new railway lines will increase the transportation options. The trains are one of the affordable way that does not get affected by traffic congestion and therefore ensure faster travelling. For example, in Bangladesh, most of the citizens prefer to travel by train during their eid vacation to go back to their hometown as it is the faster procedure. Needless to say, constructing more tracks will be a viable solution to cover more routes during the peak travelling season.

On the other hand, railways should not be the only feasible transport. The existing public transports like bus or airways should also be improved as sometimes the demand can be very high and everyone does not feel comfortable to travel by train. For instance, again considering the eid vacation period of Bangladesh, a large number of people can not find ticket due to the limited seats and those travellers have to choose other options like bus or aeroplane. On top of that, one single railway line can accommodate only a limited number of trains per day and thus I strongly believe that improving the existing infrastructure like building highways to remove traffic jam or reducing the fuel price can do the actual work instead of constructing new tracks.

To conclude, constructing new train lines for faster trains has some merits but those cannot ensure supporting a large consumer. Therefore, investing money on existing transports should be prioritised as it can offer transportation for more people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for improving existing transport, especially in the introduction and conclusion. The Bangladesh examples make the discussion relevant, and you explain why new rail lines could help during busy travel periods. This meets the task well, but the two sides are not developed equally: the case for new lines is mainly about speed and route coverage, while the case for improving existing transport includes capacity, alternative modes and infrastructure. Some claims, such as reducing fuel prices, are not clearly connected to improving public transport. To strengthen the response, explain more precisely how each investment would benefit passengers and support your preference with a direct comparison of costs, capacity or access.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction presents the debate and your position, two body paragraphs discuss the opposing views, and the conclusion restates your preference. Paragraphing is effective, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the argument. The examples are generally placed where they support the relevant point. Some linking is a little formulaic, however, and repeated references to the Eid period make the development feel less varied. The sentence beginning “On top of that” also moves from limited train capacity to highways and fuel prices without fully explaining the connection. Use more precise transitions and make the relationship between each supporting point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “traffic congestion,” “peak travelling season,” “limited seats,” and “existing infrastructure.” These expressions help communicate the transport debate, and the meaning remains clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “proponents argue” and “allocated,” but some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “huge amount of investment,” “public vehicles,” “faster procedure,” and “supporting a large consumer.” Repetition of “constructing,” “existing,” and “transport” also limits flexibility. Aim for more natural combinations and precise terms—for example, refer to “public transport services” and “passenger capacity”—and vary repeated vocabulary without sacrificing clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “as,” “while,” and “although,” and most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. The opening sentence and the contrast between the two views show an ability to handle longer structures. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement and plural forms: “a necessity” follows “huge amount of investment” awkwardly, “the trains are one of the affordable way” has a number-agreement error, and “government should spend” needs an article or plural form. There are also errors in “can not find ticket” and “a large consumer.” Review article use and singular/plural agreement, then proofread longer sentences to ensure each clause is grammatically complete and clearly punctuated.

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