Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03
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)
This is the era of new advancement in every field of life and technology is the most rapidly advancing in this. In near future cars, buses and trucks will run without professional drivers. There will be only travelers inside these vehicles. I think these advantages of driverless vehicles will fall short to overcome the disadvantages.
On one hand driverless cars, buses and trucks need a clear and specific route in order to carry out the functions. For example on roads there is so much traffic and if driverless cars, trucks and buses will run this will cause serious accidents on roads which will lead to danger. Another example is that drivers are aware of technical issues about the cars, buses and trucks, if an internal issue occurs these without drivers will be unable to sort this out.
On the other hand advantages include in the driverless cars, trucks and buses are that it will ride slow and safer. For example in China many companies are manufacturing these and large companies are using them in order to pick and drop of employees. For transportation of goods as well. Other main advantage is that it will cut out cost for paying drivers as well.
In conclusion, advantages does not outweigh the disadvantages because this cause life threatning problems and people safety should be priority.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but the development is insufficient. The essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the supporting points—such as the claim that driverless vehicles cannot handle traffic or technical issues—are asserted rather than fully explained or illustrated with convincing evidence. To improve, you must expand on your ideas with more detailed reasoning and specific examples to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For example'). The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the conclusion is very brief, failing to effectively summarise the main points discussed. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that flows logically into the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'internal issue' or 'cut out cost', which could be expressed more professionally. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'ride slow and safer'. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to technology and transportation, and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate and precise.
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. For instance, 'advantages does not outweigh' (subject-verb agreement) and 'this cause life threatning problems' (missing verb/tense error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of basic grammatical rules, such as pluralisation and verb tense consistency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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