Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07

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 phone while driving is very dangerous not only for driver but also for passengers as well because this is the main reason of most of the accidents in the world. There is a reason why cell phone should not allowed to the drivers

Firstly, if cell phone would be illegal while driving it will really help for the drivers to focus on their driving and they will not have any kind of distractions which will really help to decrease the number of road accidents. In 2025 out of 85% people died in road accidents because they were scrolling reels and watching movies on their phone while driving.

On the other hand , I would say it should not be illegal because nowadays phone plays a crucial role in everybody’s life. Sometimes when we visit any new city or town we have to check the maps which helps us to visit that perticular place on time without any confusion and it really helps to save time because maps also shows that which area or road has traffic so the person can reroute according to that.

In addition, most of the people like to listen music while working and doing something in their life because it help to make them awake they don’t feel sleepy also they start their day with prayer. For instance in my culture when we have to go out we always play religious music in our car this is how we start our day or trip and after that we play music which gives us energy and also drivers like to listen music so that they don’t feel sleepy.

However, I found two reasons why phone should not be use while driving and one reason why it’s should allow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument. However, the position is inconsistent. While you initially argue for a ban, you later argue against it, and the conclusion is contradictory, stating you found reasons for both sides rather than taking a clear stance. The ideas are relevant but lack depth; for instance, the claim that 85% of people died in 2025 due to scrolling is an unsupported and unrealistic statistic. To improve, ensure you maintain a consistent position throughout the essay and support your arguments with logical, realistic reasoning rather than fabricated data.

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 often mechanical or misused. For example, the transition 'However' at the end is used to summarise rather than contrast. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the transition between the argument for a ban and the argument against it. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') and ensure that each paragraph flows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'phone plays a crucial role in everybody’s life' and 'perticular place'. You rely on basic vocabulary and some repetitive structures. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to road safety and technology, and pay closer attention to spelling (e.g., 'perticular' should be 'particular').

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'phone should not allowed'), article usage (e.g., 'listen music'), and tense consistency. Some sentences are run-on or lack necessary punctuation. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing auxiliary verbs or incorrect prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help raise your score.

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

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