Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-23

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 6.0)

Across many nations it is seen that many individuals depend a lot on using personal cars as a way to commute. Dependability on this way of transportation has its own negatives and positives. This eassy will discuss both positive and negative impacts and will conclude with how one outweighs the other.

To begin with, emissions coming out of vehicles pollute the air and they depend highly on the use of fossil fuels. Any vehicle which runs on fuels like petrol or diesel release gases in the air which are harmful to breathe and are the cause of increasing carbon footprint. For example in 2012 many diesel vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen by-passed the emission tests which proved fatal for the public. Additionally, buying a car comes with alot of expenses. Cars are getting expensive by each passing year the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring it is not easy to keep up with.

On the other hand, cars provide convenience, luxury and status symbol in the society. Many countries do not have a well developed public transportation system which why owing a personal vehicle is not a choice but a need. For instance Canada has many cities with under developed public transport system which has forced many individuals to buy a car for their commute. Furthermore, these vehicles give us comfort and luxury. Cold countries where the weather conditions are very harsh, cars come with features like heated seats, heated steering and remote start which makes it a convenient option over public transport, not only this but owing a vehicle displays how successful a person is in the society.

In conclusion, though cars are convenient and provide luxury. The fact that they are expensive and pollute the environment cannot be forseen. Therefore the negatives outweigh the positives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt. The student explores the ways in which reliance on private cars affects daily life, specifically mentioning environmental impacts, financial costs, convenience, and social status. A clear position is established early in the introduction and maintained throughout, culminating in a definitive conclusion that the negative impacts outweigh the positive ones. Ideas are generally well-extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the reference to Canada's underdeveloped public transport and the Volkswagen emissions scandal. However, some arguments, such as the mention of cars as a status symbol, are introduced briefly without deep exploration. Overall, the task is covered well, meeting the expectations for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 response in terms of addressing all prompt requirements comprehensively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately, with a clear introduction, separate body paragraphs for negative and positive impacts, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the text, though some linking and referencing feel slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition 'system which why owing a personal vehicle' contains a referencing error that disrupts the flow. Additionally, punctuation within sentences occasionally falters, such as missing commas after introductory phrases. Nevertheless, the essay remains coherent overall, matching the criteria for a Band 6.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'commute', 'carbon footprint', 'underdeveloped', and 'convenient'. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'eassy' instead of 'essay', 'alot' instead of 'a lot', and 'forseen' instead of 'foreseen'. Phrases like 'dependability on this way of transportation' sound slightly unnatural compared to standard collocations like 'reliance on this mode of transportation'. While less common lexical items are attempted, inaccuracies in spelling and collocation place this firmly in the Band 6 category, as they do not impede communication but prevent higher-level precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples of successful complex structures include 'Any vehicle which runs on fuels like petrol or diesel release gases...' although this specific sentence exhibits a subject-verb agreement error ('vehicles... release' would be correct). Other grammatical errors include run-on sentences and punctuation issues, such as 'In conclusion, though cars are convenient and provide luxury. The fact that they are expensive...' where a dependent clause is punctuated as a full sentence. Despite these recurring errors in grammar and punctuation, they rarely impede overall communication, reflecting the standard characteristics of a Band 6 performance.

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

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