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)

Nowadays, more and more people are using there own cars for travel rather than public transportation in many parts of the nation. However, dependance on private vehicles afftect people lives in both positive and negitive ways and this is going to explain those effects in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with the positive impacts, having a private car is really time saving and people can go anytime anywhere they want. For example, buses have so many stops according to the routes, so it takes longer to go somewhere as compare to private vehicle and also buses have their own time as it does not work in night time, so if people have any emergency midnight they can use their own transportation of mode that is available 24/7. Hence, it is beneficial for people to own a car.

On the other hand, there are some negative effects of having a private cars. Firstly; it is very expensive, installment and insurance every month and then it needs service every two months that can cost approx 300$-500$ which not everyone can afford. Secondly, increasing in number of vehicles means also increasing the pollution in the world. Taking an example of recent survey conducted by 'The Times' showing 30% of incline in the air pollution in the biggest city of Punjab, Ludhiana as most of the individuals are buying their own four-wheels.

To conclude with, this situation affects masses lives in both positive and negative ways, as if they are buying car, people can also do two jobs as it is easy to travel and saves so much time, but also having a car is cost affective and individuals will spend so much on the vehicle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question by describing benefits, such as convenience and access to transport at night, and drawbacks, including expense and pollution. Your conclusion also indicates that you see effects on both sides. However, the overall judgement is not fully clear: the question asks whether the effects tend to be positive or negative, but you do not firmly state which side outweighs the other. Some points are relevant but briefly developed; for instance, the claim that car ownership allows people to “do two jobs” is not explained, and the pollution example is presented without showing its wider impact on daily life. Make your position explicit and extend each main point with a clear explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, one on drawbacks, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” helps readers follow the shift between ideas. However, some connections are mechanical, and the progression within paragraphs could be clearer. In the positive paragraph, the discussion moves from travel time to bus schedules and emergencies without consistently explaining how each example supports the main point. The final sentence also combines several ideas, making the conclusion less focused. Use clearer links between claim, explanation, and example, and make references such as “this situation” more specific.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “private vehicles,” “public transportation,” “air pollution,” and “insurance,” and the reader can generally understand your meaning. There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “24/7” and “installment.” However, spelling errors and inaccurate word choices are noticeable, including “dependance,” “afftect,” “negitive,” and “cost affective.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “transportation of mode” and “increasing in number of vehicles.” These issues limit the precision and naturalness of the vocabulary. Check spelling carefully and learn common collocations for discussing costs, transport, and environmental effects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional idea in “if people have any emergency midnight they can use their own transportation.” This shows some range, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and punctuation occur across the response. For example, “a private cars” has a singular/plural mismatch, while “buses have their own time as it does not work” shifts awkwardly between plural and singular subjects. The opening sentence also has an unclear construction, and several long sentences join ideas without effective punctuation. Practise building accurate complex sentences, checking subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, and separating closely related ideas with appropriate punctuation.

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