Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-01

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)

In recent years, technology has made people's life easier. People believe in the future all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless and there will be only passengers in vehicles. Although, this has certain drawbacks, I strongly believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

I believe that the advantages are more significant and outweigh the disadvantages.

One major advantage of driverless vehicles is it is quiet safer. Passengers can travel without any risk and fear. For example, sometimes there might be accident because of carelessness of driver. Another benefit is this is systematic because the arrival and departure time don't get changed. This will allow the passenger to get into their work on time, which is not always possible in cars, buses and trucks. It is because they might stuck in traffic.

However, there are some disadvantages to consider. The biggest concern is one error in system can cause loss of thousands people. Also, we cannot totally trust on the machine which is not in our control. This can make passenger inside the vehicle to panic which will result in less uses of those buses and cars.

In conclusion, while all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless has certain drawbacks such as system errors and trust issue, its benefits in terms of safety and punctual are more important. Therefore, I believe the advantages of driverless vehicle clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages and clearly states a position. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which significantly limits the depth of the arguments. The ideas, such as safety and punctuality, are introduced but remain under-developed. For instance, the point about 'system errors' is mentioned but lacks specific examples or logical expansion. To improve, you need to provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples to fully explore the implications of driverless technology. Because the word count is below the minimum, the development of ideas is insufficient for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices like 'However' and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression is hindered by the brevity of the paragraphs. Some transitions are missing or awkward, such as the abrupt shift between the introduction and the first body paragraph. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects smoothly to the next point.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing, such as 'made people's life easier' and 'not always possible'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'less uses of those buses' instead of 'less frequent use'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to technology and transportation, and ensure that your word choices are precise and natural in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'it is quiet safer' (should be 'it is much safer'), 'there might be accident' (missing article), and 'they might stuck in traffic' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels repetitive. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and the accurate formation of passive and modal structures, which are essential for discussing future technologies.

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

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