Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many parts of the world, people rely on private cars for transportation.

In what ways does reliance on private cars affect the way we live?

Do the effects tend to be positive or negative?

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In most parts of the globe, folks depends on on a cab or a taxi for their journey's. Well, dependance on private cars have certain impact on our lives. Moreover, in this case, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages and you will see about it in the upcoming paragraphs.

On the one hand, using private cars for transport creates a lot of traffic on the roads due to which people get delayed to their destination and this impacts everyone such as emergency services who are here for us to deliver save and secure life and this traffic jam will get in between their duties.

Moreover, It affects the environment in a harsh way. Lots of cars creates noise pollution. Also, the fuel burning degrades the ozone layer which helps us to stay protected from the harmful rays coming from the sun. Furthermore, It affects cost of living for people by investing in private cars

On the other hand, travelling in private cars helps in reducing the stress. For instance, you don't have to worry about weather conditions such as hailstorm, snow, rain and no need to wait for the bus at the bus stop.

Well, in the end I would prefer public transport over the private for the above discussed reasons

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: you describe effects such as traffic delays, environmental harm and reduced travel stress, and your conclusion makes your preference for public transport clear. The negative position is also stated in the introduction. However, the discussion is brief and several points are asserted rather than explained. For example, the claim that car use increases the cost of living is not developed, while the environmental point would benefit from a clearer explanation of how emissions affect people’s lives. The positive effect is also limited to comfort and avoiding bad weather. The response is 40 words below the required minimum, which restricts the opportunity to develop and support your ideas. Add specific examples and explain each effect more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting disadvantages, a paragraph on an advantage, and a concluding preference. This makes the main direction easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Furthermore,” and “On the other hand.” However, some connections feel mechanical, and the first body paragraph combines several effects in a long sequence, making the relationship between traffic, emergency services, pollution and living costs less clear. The conclusion is very brief and does not bring the main reasons together. Organise each body paragraph around a clear central effect, use shorter sentences where needed, and make references such as “this” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “traffic,” “emergency services,” “noise pollution,” “fuel burning,” and “cost of living,” so the reader can understand the main ideas. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “harmful rays.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, including “dependance,” “deliver save and secure life,” and “investing in private cars.” “Folks” and “you will see about it in the upcoming paragraphs” are also too informal or formulaic for this essay. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less clear. Aim for precise collocations and a consistently appropriate academic tone; for example, describe emergency services as responding to incidents and explain that car ownership increases household expenses.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a cause-and-effect construction beginning “using private cars for transport creates a lot of traffic … due to which people get delayed.” This shows some range, but control is uneven, and errors sometimes make sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “folks depends,” “dependance on private cars have,” and “Lots of cars creates,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. There are also problems with sentence boundaries and punctuation, particularly in the long sentence about traffic and emergency services, as well as inconsistent capitalisation after full stops. Practise checking agreement and sentence structure, and divide long ideas into complete, clearly punctuated sentences. More accurate control of these forms would make your meaning easier to understand.

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.