Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In the future all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless. The only people travelling inside these vehicles will be passengers.

Do you think the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

All the essential vehicles in the coming future will be operating without a driver. The only individuals present inside will be the one riding on them. Although this future technology of electric vehicles will be significantly convenient for every type of person, it will make them totally dependent, and everything will eventually become robotic.

The major advantage of these transports without drivers are that every individual will get benefit from such invention. Starting from school going children, their parents would no longer have to worry about timely sending and picking their children up from schools. It would be easier for older population to travel without needing any assistance from others. People who are afraid of driving vehicles, those who haven't learnt how to drive, or are unable to pass a driving license can easily ride without having the requirement to learn, and have a proper driving license. This could also be extremely helpful for travelers. Most people have to drive for a considerable amount of time, and such huge travels hours are significantly tiring for them. For example, many countries in this world have cars that are operating on its own such as the Tesla or the Hybrid, and many people find these motorcars very fascinating and attractive. This invention might make people's life easier.

The major drawback of automatic cars could be the total dependence of people on this technology, and this could be the reason the future generation could become more mechanical and less manual. People would rely entirely on everything that is automatic and would make them idle. Moreover, parents and many other people won't totally trust sending their children alone and this might be a downside. However, not all the middle and lower-class people would be able to afford it, and this will be a financial burden for all of them. There won't be any drivers and those who are the sole earners of their families, and driving was their only source of income might suffer. For instance, many goods that are manufactured are transported through trucks. If in the future trucks are going to be driverless, then it would be a risk to protect such things without having someone who is not only driving but also keeps an eye on the goods.

To conclude, automatic cars in the future is definetly going to be extremely prevalent because it would be too easy for people's everyday life but the downside will be their complete reliance on mechanical vehicles, In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as it is surely going to make everything worth it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Your ideas are relevant, such as the convenience for the elderly and the economic impact on professional drivers. However, some points could be more deeply developed. For instance, the argument regarding the 'financial burden' is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of its long-term societal impact. The conclusion clearly restates your position, which helps maintain a consistent stance throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explained with a clear link back to the main argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'To conclude' to signal transitions between ideas. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with punctuation, such as the comma splice in the final paragraph ('...mechanical vehicles, In my opinion...'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages from the disadvantages, which aids readability. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that punctuation does not disrupt the flow of your sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prevalent', 'fascinating', and 'mechanical'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocations, such as 'school going children' (better: 'school-age children') and 'huge travels hours' (better: 'long travel times'). You attempt to use less common vocabulary, but there are occasional errors in word choice that do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, focus on refining your collocations and using more precise academic terminology to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The major advantage... are') and article usage ('the older population'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the one riding on them'. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of your message. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of pluralization. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures will also help you demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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.