Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-20

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 6.0)

In some cultures, children are frequently encouraged to believe that they can achieve anything if they work hard enough. This message can have several benefits, such as building confidence and encouraging persistence. However, it can also create unrealistic expectations and make children blame themselves when they fail.

One major advantage is that this belief can motivate children to work harder. If children think that effort can help them achieve their goals, they are more likely to continue studying, practising, or developing new skills when they face difficulties. For example, a student who struggles with mathematics may be encouraged to practise regularly instead of giving up. In addition, this message can build self-confidence and a positive attitude towards challenges.

On the other hand, telling children that hard work can achieve anything may give them unrealistic expectations. Some goals depend not only on effort but also on natural abilities, financial circumstances, opportunities, health, or competition. For instance, a child may work extremely hard to become a professional athlete but still fail because they do not have the physical ability required at the highest level. In such situations, children may feel disappointed or believe that their failure is entirely their fault.

In conclusion, encouraging children to work hard can develop motivation, confidence, and resilience. However, they should also be taught that effort is important but does not guarantee success. A balanced message would encourage children to do their best while helping them understand and accept realistic limitations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt explicitly asks for an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles. However, the student has written an essay about the psychological impact of telling children they can achieve anything through hard work. Because the response fails to address the prompt entirely, it cannot be assessed for task development or position. The word count is also below the minimum requirement of 250 words, which further impacts the score. To improve, it is essential to carefully read the prompt and ensure the content directly answers the specific question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Despite being off-topic, the essay is internally coherent. The student uses clear paragraphing and logical transitions such as 'One major advantage', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand'. The progression of ideas within the irrelevant topic is logical, and cohesive devices are used appropriately to link sentences and paragraphs. If the content had been relevant to the prompt, this would have been a strong performance in terms of structure and flow. The paragraphing is clear, and the logical sequence of arguments is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is accurate and displays a good range, including phrases like 'unrealistic expectations', 'financial circumstances', and 'natural abilities'. The student uses language with precision and avoids repetitive phrasing. While the topic is irrelevant, the lexical control is sophisticated enough to convey complex ideas clearly. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on incorporating more topic-specific vocabulary related to the actual prompt, such as 'autonomous technology', 'traffic congestion', or 'road safety'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('If children think that effort can help them achieve their goals, they are more likely to...') and subordinate clauses. The grammar is largely accurate, with very few errors in punctuation or syntax. The majority of sentences are error-free, showing a high level of control. The student effectively uses a mix of simple and complex forms to express their ideas. The grammatical accuracy is a strong point of this piece, even though the content does not address the task.

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

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