Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-04

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)

With the rapid development of technology, driverless vehicles are becoming reality and within the upcoming years the bus, car, truck all will be operate automatically. Although many people are concerned about this but in my opinion it's beneficial for the person who don't know how to drive.

For this purpose one major concern is that the possibility of technical failures about driverless automobiles. Since it heavily depend on sensors, software and automated system a malfunction could cause the vehicle behave unexpectedly and potentially leads to traffic accident. In addition, the hackers can exploit weakness of the system and deliberately harm the sensors and it will be tragic accident in traffic and difficult to find the real cause. However we could reduced this risks with regularly backup and strictly cybersecurity measures. For instance automobiles had to come with auto brake system when any malware detected in the sensors or the software also with the features who provide the manually over ride system.

In comparison of this concerns there are great benefits of the driverless mode of transport particularly in terms of road safety. Human errors are major issue of traffic accidents as drivers can become tired, distracted, or drive under the influence of alcohol these systems can be continuously improved to identify weaknesses and minimise the possibility of malfunction.

In conclusion, driverless vehicles may create risks related to technical failures and cybersecurity, including the possibility of new forms of crime. Nevertheless, these problems can be reduced through backup systems, strict safety measures, and continuous technological improvements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding safety is clear, but the discussion on technical failures and cybersecurity is slightly repetitive and lacks depth. The position is consistent throughout, but the conclusion introduces new points (such as 'new forms of crime') that were not fully explored in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported with more specific examples or logical elaboration, and maintain a tighter focus on the core arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the discussion of technical failures and the proposed solutions could be more fluid. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'this' to refer to broad concepts. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally logical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at using topic-specific vocabulary like 'cybersecurity measures,' 'malware,' and 'automated system.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'within the upcoming years the bus, car, truck all will be operate automatically' and 'In comparison of this concerns.' These errors do not impede communication but prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding the range of collocations and refining word forms would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'will be operate,' 'it heavily depend,' 'the hackers can exploit weakness'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas in several places. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are punctuated correctly to avoid run-on sentences or fragments.

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

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