Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous because it causes the driver to become distracted. Therefore, cell phone use by drivers should be made illegal.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In the contemporary era, although cell phones are necessary part of people’s life, people can easily get distracted while driving and can be dangerous for them and some people believe it should be illegal while driving. I partially agree with this notion.

The prominent reason is distraction. People usually get distracted with the mobile phones they can even forget they are driving. They could be busy not only in scrolling social media but also looking at messages. Few seconds of distraction could become the reason of accidents because drivers might not seen pedestrians and cyclists while replying a message. Therefore, drivers try to avoid cell phones while driving on roads because cyclists have little control on riding and can cause major accident which consequently lead to loss of life sometimes.

Paradoxically, mobile phones plan an essential role in driving through maps. Drivers are not familiar with all roads, for reaching destination they need to take help from google maps. With the help of navigation they can easily get their destination without stress. Whilst these apps should be used in proper way such as, on hand-free modes . In such ways road happening can be reduced to some extent.

To recapitulate, although cell phones are necessary while driving because it helps person to find routes through navigation, its drawbacks cannot be ingnored.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the dangers of cell phone use and the necessity of navigation apps. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While you present a clear position, the development is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about navigation is relevant, but it lacks a detailed explanation of how to balance safety with utility. To improve, you should expand on your ideas with more specific examples or counter-arguments to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'The prominent reason', 'Paradoxically', and 'To recapitulate' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the dangers of distraction and the benefits of navigation could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels a bit abrupt due to the limited length of the paragraphs. Improving the use of linking phrases within paragraphs would enhance the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary era', 'distracted', and 'navigation'. However, there are some inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'road happening' instead of 'traffic accidents' or 'road incidents', and 'plan an essential role' (should be 'play'). Spelling errors like 'ingnored' also occur. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise word choices and ensure that your vocabulary is used in the correct context to convey your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'cell phones are necessary part' (missing article), 'drivers might not seen' (incorrect verb form), and 'cyclists have little control on riding' (preposition error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately without errors that distract the reader.

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

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