Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-01

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)

Alot of people living in the countries belives that money should be spent on building new railwas lines for very fast trains because of good infrastructure and better economic support but other argues money should be spent on improving existing public transport for better environment.I partially agree to both statements as i believe that both depend upon the circumstances.

Neglicting old transportation will have a negative impact on the society as the old infrastructure play a vital role in saving environment. Old transportation are cheaper and also many old transportation had a less fuel consumption.Moreover, they have a beginner friendly booking system which is convienient for older people.

Building a new lanes are the requirement of the society because technology is advancing day by day and building new rails will not only reduce traffic problems but also reduces the inflation problem as more job opportunities will be avavilable for many people.Furthermore, people can travel via high facilities and notice significantly reduced travel time.It is being observed in many areas that many traffic problems have been solved and less travel time is now required.In Japan schiengein is one of the best example.

In my opinion both are necessary i.e development of new fast transportation and investing in older transport the priority should be depend upon the country need. Country with large population should have new advanced technology whereas, the country in which urban conjuction is a issue they need improvement in exisiting infrastructure.Overall, the balance approch that combines both strategies will yield a best outcome.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both options and give a position: “I partially agree to both statements,” then conclude that investment should depend on a country’s needs. Relevant reasons include reduced traffic and travel time from new railways, and environmental and affordability benefits from existing transport. However, these points are mostly asserted rather than explained or supported with clear examples; the reference to Japan is brief and unclear. The position is also somewhat broad, so the reader is left without a firm account of when each investment should take priority. The response is 245 words, five words below the required minimum, and the nine words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Develop the comparison and support each main reason with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a concluding opinion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak: the paragraph on existing transport moves from environmental benefits to fuel use and then booking systems without showing how these points connect. Linking phrases such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore” are used, but some connections feel mechanical, and the final paragraph repeats the idea that both approaches are necessary rather than synthesising the earlier arguments. Improve cohesion by grouping related reasons, using clearer references to the options, and explaining the relationship between each supporting point and the main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt topic-related vocabulary, including “infrastructure,” “fuel consumption,” “job opportunities,” and “travel time,” which gives you a basic range for discussing transport investment. Some choices, however, are inaccurate or unclear and make parts of the argument harder to understand, such as “urban conjuction,” “high facilities,” and “beginner friendly booking system.” Spelling errors are also noticeable, including “Neglicting,” “convienient,” and “avavilable.” These issues fit a limited but usable range: the intended meaning is often recoverable, but precision is inconsistent. Build a bank of accurate transport collocations and check spelling; for example, use “urban congestion” and “high-speed rail services” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and attempts at longer structures, including “because technology is advancing day by day” and the conditional contrast about countries with large populations. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, and verb forms recur. Examples include “other argues,” “the old infrastructure play,” “Old transportation are,” and “Building a new lanes are.” The sentence beginning “Country with large population” also needs clearer article use and sentence structure. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the overall meaning can usually be understood. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, then proofread each sentence for a complete, clearly punctuated structure.

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