Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-17
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 recent years, it has been proposed that there should be a binding law guiding the use of mobile phone by motorist during driving in order to prevent accidents. I agree with this view as I believe that these measures will benefit both the driver and the other road users.
To commence with, the main of any motorist is to protect lives of the passenger and also the other road users. A distracted driver can cause major road misfortunes. One of the major thing that causes accident is majorly phone calls. When they are aware that the act is illegal and that it will land them in prison they will avoid being distracted by any gadget, because they will not be the only one that will be affected but others too.
Furthermore, the government should cater for the life of its citizens by establishing an organization mainly for this purpose. In Nigeria, for instance, there are organizations set up by government to frequently be on the road to penalize any driver using the phone while driving.
To conclude, I believe that, the motorists should be aware that they responsible for the safety of the passenger and other road user and the government should create an organization to penalize them when caught using phone
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of banning cell phone use while driving. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas are relevant, they are not fully developed; for example, the suggestion that the government should create an organization to penalize drivers is mentioned but lacks sufficient explanation or exploration of the practical implications. To improve, you should expand on your supporting points with more detailed reasoning and perhaps a counter-argument to provide a more balanced and comprehensive discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude' to signal the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by repetitive phrasing and a lack of sophisticated linking words. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the transition between the danger of distractions and the legal consequences feels slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices will help the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive or imprecise phrasing, such as 'major road misfortunes' and 'major thing'. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'the main of any motorist' (likely meaning 'the main goal' or 'primary responsibility'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to road safety and law enforcement, rather than relying on general terms.
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, such as 'the main of any motorist is to protect lives of the passenger' (missing articles) and 'they responsible for' (missing verb 'are'). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the comma usage in the conclusion. The frequency of these errors, while not impeding communication, prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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