Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-02

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 mobile phone while driving is very dangerous beca it can cause a distraction for the driver. I agree with this perspective but cell phone should not be made illegal. There are some reasons that will explain in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, There are plethora of things can happen with the drivers if they use a cell phone while driving. If they are on call with their family member or friends, or scrolling instagram reels or doing something, then they will get distracted and accidents may happen. As a result, they will have to face some consequences such as they can die or they can met with some serious injuries.

On the other hand, I believe cell phones use by drivers should not be made illegal because sometimes, there is an important call from their family member and friends or they may also have some important work that should be done in specific time and so on. They can use mobile phones when they are on break or if they have something important, then they can park their car or trucks and then they can use. Mobile phones is not only the problem, overspeed can also create problems. Moreover, government should take measures against mobile phones like they are only allowed to use cell phone when they are not driving otherwise they will have to pay some penalty.

In conclusion, I think driver’s can use mobile phones but at specific time or when their car or truck is parked. They should not be allowed to use mobile phone while driving because something serious can happen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt, but the position is somewhat contradictory. You state you agree that cell phone use is dangerous, but then argue it should not be illegal, which creates a confusing stance. While you provide reasons for your position, the development is inconsistent. For instance, you suggest that government measures should include penalties, which contradicts your earlier point that it should not be made illegal. To improve, ensure your position is clearly defined in the introduction and maintained consistently throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant but lack the depth required for a higher band, as the arguments regarding 'important calls' are somewhat repetitive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, 'There are plethora of things' is grammatically awkward and lacks a proper determiner. Transitions like 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disrupted by grammatical errors. Paragraphing is present, but the final conclusion is slightly repetitive, as it restates points already made without adding a sense of finality or synthesis to the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'some reasons', 'some consequences', and 'some problems'. There are also spelling errors like 'beca' (because) and 'instagram' (Instagram). While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'distracted' and 'penalty', the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive, generic words like 'some' or 'things'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic synonyms will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Examples include 'There are plethora of things can happen', 'they can met with some serious injuries', and 'Mobile phones is not only the problem'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly verb forms and pluralisation.

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

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