Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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)

In many countries, some people think that it is necessary to spent large amount of money on constructing new railway lines for super fast trains between cities while others contradicts that money should be spent on on improving the pre-existing public transports. In the following essay both views will be illustrated in details with suitable examples.

On one hand, people think it is necessary to construct new railway lines for super fast trains for inter-city travel. As going from one city to another often requires a lot of time and some times changing between a lot of train, so keeping these things in mind having a separate, specific railway line for easy and fast travel is indeed very helpful. For example, when I go from my hostel in Delhi to my home in Haryana, I have to change a lot of buses which is very exhausting. Also in countries such as China and Japan this kind of transport is already implemented.

On the other hand, improving existing public transport is favourable by others. In a lot of countries even normal mode of transport such as trains and buses are not available to all of the public. People who lives in rural areas and small tribal people does not have access to public transport. So, instead of building super fast train railway lines it would be better to focus on improving existing transport.

In conclusion, whether constructing new railway lines for very fast trains or improving current mode of transport, I believe that it depends not on people but the country they belong to. People in developed countries such as USA, China and Japan already have good transport so they can build super fast trains but in countries such as India and Nepal existing transport is not that well developed so they should improve existing transport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a clear, relevant opinion: high-speed rail may suit countries with established transport systems, while improving existing services is more important where access is limited. The examples of China and Japan, and of rural communities, support the discussion, and the personal journey from Delhi adds a concrete illustration. However, the case for high-speed rail is less fully developed: the essay mentions time savings and transfers but does not explain broader benefits or acknowledge possible costs. The final position is also conditional rather than a direct comparison of which investment should generally take priority. Develop each side with a fuller reason and example, then state your overall preference more decisively. The response meets the required length; 16 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow, and the ideas within each body paragraph are generally relevant to its main point. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement and shows some of the clearer progression associated with a stronger performance. To improve further, make links between claims more precise: the personal example about changing buses illustrates inconvenience, but its connection to constructing high-speed rail is not fully explained. Avoid relying mainly on formulaic transitions; use clearer references and linking sentences to show how each example supports the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to discuss transport, including “railway lines,” “inter-city travel,” “rural areas,” and “public transport.” Some choices also show an attempt to be specific, such as “separate, specific railway line.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, which keeps expression from being consistently clear and precise. For example, “super fast trains” is informal, “public transports” is not the usual form, and “small tribal people” is an unclear description. Repeated use of “transport” and “people” also limits flexibility. Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms, such as “high-speed rail,” “public transport services,” and “tribal communities,” while checking word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “As going from one city to another…” and a contrast introduced by “while.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction reduce accuracy. Examples include “it is necessary to spent” instead of “to spend,” “others contradicts” instead of “others argue,” and “People who lives” instead of “People who live.” The opening sentence is also difficult to follow because its clauses are joined without a clear grammatical structure. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and infinitives, and revise long sentences into clear clauses. Greater control of these patterns would make the range of structures more effective.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.