Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02
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)
Driverless cars are the future of the world in countries like China and Japan they already are in practice. Talking about the advantages of driverless cars are they are independent of any human error they for example if the car is set to a speed of 110 km/h it will not cross that its lane assist will strictly restrict the car to change the lane while moving on a highway , other advantages of the driverless cars are they are made to make the driver feel relaxed and let the machine do all the driving stuff especially when we have to travel for a longer distance for example distance is above 300 km so it makes the journey tiring for the driver. Despite all the advantages they have there are things to be notified that Are they that good that they can replace a human ? are they that good that they can prevent accidents ? are they that much well trained that they can react to a child crossing a road while the vehicle is at 100km/h are there sensors this good ? the answer to all these questions are NO! they are only good for little use for example lane assist or cruse control but for the driver to have zero involvement in driving is never safe. For example ill share a story in China a person was driving a driverless car and was hit by a moving car that was overtaking wrongly the sensors sensed that but were late to react and it resulted in the death of the person.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages. However, the development is uneven. The advantages are presented in a somewhat informal, list-like manner, and the counter-arguments, while present, lack depth and formal structure. The position is clear, but the essay lacks a formal introduction and conclusion, which are essential for a balanced academic argument. The reliance on a single anecdotal example to refute the technology's safety is insufficient for a high-level discussion. To improve, you should structure your essay with clear paragraphs for each side of the argument and provide more nuanced, evidence-based reasoning rather than relying on rhetorical questions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear paragraph structure, appearing as a single block of text. This makes it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of ideas. There is a lack of cohesive devices; sentences are often linked by simple conjunctions or run-on structures rather than sophisticated transition words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'conversely', 'consequently'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall flow is mechanical. To improve, you must use paragraph breaks to separate your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, and employ a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas logically.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive and informal phrasing, such as 'driving stuff' and 'little use'. There is a lack of topic-specific vocabulary related to autonomous technology (e.g., 'artificial intelligence', 'algorithmic processing', 'mitigate risks'). While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of sophisticated collocations and the informal tone limit the score. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic and precise terminology will significantly enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors, including run-on sentences, incorrect punctuation, and issues with subject-verb agreement. For example, 'Talking about the advantages of driverless cars are they are...' is syntactically incorrect. There is a heavy reliance on simple sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences often result in errors that impede clarity. The use of capitalization is also inconsistent. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring each sentence has a clear subject and verb, and practicing the correct use of commas and periods to avoid run-on sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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