Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-22

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)

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. This topic is more important for us to look into it in the current generation.Using phone while driving is something very illegal in terms of traffic rules which most people often forget to follow.Some countries have been developed and have certain rules to follow when driving for example if in UAE you are driving and talking on call the cameras will catch you immediately and you will get a notification regarding the call you answered while driving and they will give you fines along with black points. some countries when we look into in our daily life are still struggling to come up with rules for example India.

Human life is something very important while driving one should make sure that they don't drive recklessly and talk on phone.

Yes we do believe that sometimes its very important for us to attend few emergency calls , but a person should always make sure that he or she parks the vehicle in safe zone and then attend the call to avoid accidents.

To conclude with this debate I would suggest that the driving is dangerous while attending the calls so one should make sure that they follow the traffic rules and then answer the call to keep everyone safe and avoid the accidents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by expressing a clear position on the illegality of cell phone use while driving. However, the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the writer provides examples like the UAE and India, the arguments remain somewhat superficial and lack the depth required for a higher band. The conclusion is repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made. To improve, the student needs to expand on the consequences of distracted driving and provide more nuanced reasoning to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. Transitions between ideas are often abrupt or missing, such as the sudden shift from the UAE example to the situation in India. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'for example' and 'some countries'. The paragraphing is present but does not always effectively group related ideas. To improve, the student should use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that flows logically into the next, creating a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. The student relies on basic phrasing such as 'something very important' and 'look into it'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'something very illegal' and 'attend few emergency calls'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary limits the score. To improve, the student should focus on learning collocations related to road safety and formal argumentation, and avoid repetitive, informal language in favor of more precise academic terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'some countries when we look into in our daily life are still struggling' and 'the driving is dangerous while attending the calls'. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting. To improve, the student should focus on sentence construction, specifically avoiding run-on sentences and ensuring correct preposition usage and article placement.

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.