Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 recent years, driverless cars have become increasingly common in many parts of the world. Although this development may give rise to certain challenges, I believe that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages, particularly in terms of greater independence and lower accident rates.

The most significant advantage of driverless cars is that they provide greater independence for people with disabilities. This is mainly because they can be particularly helpful for people who are unable to drive themselves. As a result, they can travel to different places independently whenever they want. A clear example of this can be seen in many Asian countries, where people with disabilities can benefit from autonomous vehicles by gaining greater mobility. Therefore, this aspect of driverless vehicles can have a particularly positive impact on society.

Another important advantage is that driverless cars can reduce road accidents. This is largely because their automated systems can maintain a consistent speed and do not become tired or distracted. This can lead to a reduction in the number of accidents. For instance, an autonomous vehicle can continuously monitor the road and react to potential dangers without experiencing fatigue. Consequently, fewer road accidents can contribute considerably to lower death rates, further strengthening the case for driverless vehicles.

In conclusion, while driverless cars may have some drawbacks, I personally believe that their advantages outweigh their disadvantages. In particular, their positive effects in terms of greater independence and fewer road accidents make them a worthwhile development overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages of driverless vehicles, but it fails to address the disadvantages in any meaningful way. The prompt asks if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, which necessitates a balanced discussion or at least an acknowledgement of the counter-arguments. By only mentioning 'some drawbacks' in the conclusion without exploring them, the response is unbalanced. Furthermore, the essay is 243 words long, falling short of the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the depth of the argument, as the ideas remain somewhat superficial and lack the necessary development to reach a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, such as 'The most significant advantage of driverless cars is that they provide greater independence'. Cohesive devices like 'This is mainly because', 'As a result', and 'Consequently' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the transition between the lack of disadvantages and the conclusion is abrupt. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the overall flow is somewhat mechanical due to the repetitive structure of the arguments. The progression of ideas is clear, but the lack of a counter-argument paragraph limits the coherence of the overall debate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some relevant topic-specific terms such as 'autonomous vehicles', 'automated systems', and 'potential dangers'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'greater independence' and 'road accidents' are used multiple times, which prevents the essay from demonstrating a more sophisticated lexical range. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choice is generally accurate, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, you should incorporate more varied synonyms and collocations to express your ideas with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a good level of grammatical control. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Although this development may give rise to certain challenges, I believe that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages'. Most sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. While the range of structures is sufficient, it is not particularly ambitious. There are no major grammatical errors that impede communication, but the lack of more complex, varied sentence patterns keeps the score in the 6.5-7.0 range. Focusing on more advanced subordinating conjunctions and varied clause structures would enhance this score.

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

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