Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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)

Introducing driverless vehicles in future provides us with many advantages, which clearly outweighs the disadvantages. Although driverless vehicles will take away the jobs of drivers it helps in many ways by adapting this technology.

Cars, buses and trucks which can run without the need for humans, leaves us with numerous positives. Since it is a machine it does not get tired of driving for hours unlike humans. People can sit and rest while the vehicle itself can handle everything, without the need for human interaction. The machines are well trained for any circumstances, as the sensors work really well, like slowing down in case of any obstacle in front, using indicators, shifting the gears and such. Most of the accidents recorded are due to the carelessness of the drives, where, this technology eliminates the chances of such risks. Such vehicles are also designed to follow the strict rules, following traffic rules, maintaining sped limits for instance.

Admittedly, introduction of driverless vehicles will take away the jobs of driver leaving them unemployed. Individuals and their families who rely entirely on their driving jobs will face economical backslash. Also, another drawback is government need to invest tonnes of money for this development particularly, where buying such cars will be more expensive than the normal ones.

To conclude, although introduction of vehicles with no drivers can be expensive and can cause unemployment, its pros are more advantageous, eliminating the need for physical driver, taking care of the road rules, careful training of the machine and reduces the risk of accidents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, covering safety and efficiency as benefits, and unemployment and cost as drawbacks. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'economical backslash' is vague and could have been expanded with more specific examples or logical reasoning. While the position is clear throughout, the supporting arguments lack the depth required for a higher band score, as they rely on general statements rather than fully extended analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for pros and cons, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the transition between sentences often relies on simple structures. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing to connect ideas more fluidly. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow is not yet sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'sensors', 'obstacle', and 'unemployed'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'economical backslash' (likely meaning 'economic backlash') and 'maintaining sped limits' (spelling error). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and the student relies on basic phrasing. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to convey their points with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'adapting this technology' (should be 'adopting'), 'carelessness of the drives' (should be 'drivers'), and 'government need to invest' (should be 'governments need to invest'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage would be beneficial.

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

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