Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-15

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)

It is often argued that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous because it causes the driver distracted, while others believe the opposite. This essay agrees with this view for the following reasons.

One compelling reason for this view is that each and every person is fully dependent on mobile phones these days even for little things. For instance, a person wants to make an important call, they will put a reminder, even to remind themselves for medicines. A phone starts reminding through vibration or ringtone and that person will immediately see his phone irrespective of the fact that they are driving and get distracted. A recent data from 'The Tribune' depicts that in every single second 1 lakh person is seeing their phone while driving, which increases the number of accidents. Therefore, this clearly demonstrates why using cell phones during driving is dangereous.

Another factor to be seen of using cell phones during driving is that it causes major health issues. For instance, cardiac arrest and hearing problems. A recent news from 'Major Times' showed that one person was on a call wearing his airpods while driving and his phone was near to his pocket. Moreover, he was not able to hear the horns from backside and as the car was locked, the phone got heaten up above its normal temperature and got burst, creating a panick attack inside his car. Furthermore, it was so unbearable for that person that he got a heart attack during that time. Hence, cell phones used by drivers should be made illegal.

In conclusion, I strongly, agree with a decision of making cell phones illegal. An app should be made which should cut their points if they use phone and a ticket should be sent for there respective vehicle. Hence, this reduce problems like distraction and accidents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that drivers’ phone use should be illegal, and both body paragraphs attempt to support this view with examples. The discussion of notifications distracting drivers is relevant, as is the conclusion proposing enforcement through an app and tickets. However, the response addresses the task unevenly. The first example focuses on reminders and phone alerts but needs clearer explanation of how this supports a legal ban. The second paragraph shifts to a phone overheating and bursting, which is less directly connected to distraction and is not convincingly developed as a reason for prohibition. To strengthen the response, explain the risks of visual, manual and cognitive distraction, and develop realistic supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the main position can be followed. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “Moreover,” and “Hence” help signal relationships between points. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second body paragraph moves from hearing horns to a phone overheating, then to a heart attack, without clearly connecting these events to the central argument. Some transitions also feel mechanical, and “while others believe the opposite” introduces a contrasting view that is not discussed later. Improve cohesion by organising each paragraph around one clear reason and using references and transitions that show the precise relationship between each example and that reason.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “distracted,” “accidents,” “illegal,” and “reminder,” so the reader can understand the general argument. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the examples difficult to interpret. For example, “causes the driver distracted” is not a natural expression, while “health issues” and “problems” are broad and repetitive. There are also spelling errors such as “dangereous,” “heaten,” and “panick.” Aim for more precise language about driving risks, and check spelling and collocations carefully. More accurate topic vocabulary would make your reasoning clearer and more persuasive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “while,” and “as.” This gives you a basis for expressing explanations and examples. However, complex sentences are often not controlled accurately. For example, “For instance, a person wants to make an important call, they will put a reminder” joins ideas without a suitable grammatical link, and “this reduce problems” has a subject–verb agreement error. Other issues include “I strongly, agree,” where the comma is misplaced, and inconsistent sentence construction in the phone incident. Practise building longer sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles and punctuation. Greater control would make the argument easier to follow.

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