Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12

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 this rapidly evolving world, some people believe that all cars, buses and trucks will be driven without any driver, and people will only travel as passengers. In my opinion, this technology has more advantages than disadvantages, although there are some problems too.

There are many advantages are here but one of best reason is, driverless vehicles can make travelling more safe. Many accidents happen because of human mistakes, like speeding, drink driving or feeling tired. If a computer will drive the vehicle, it will not get tired and make these kind of mistakes. This can save many lives on the road every year. Furthermore, this technology can help old people and disabled people. Sometimes which people can not drive by themselves, so driverless cars will give them more freedom to travel anywhere they want without depending on other people. Also, passengers can use their travelling time to work, read or relax instead of focusing on driving.

However, there are also some disadvantages of this technology. One big problem is that many drivers will lose their jobs, for example bus drivers, taxi drivers and truck drivers. This can cause unemployment problems for many families. Another disadvantage is that driverless vehicles depend on computers and technology, so if there is a technical fault or the system is hacked, it can be very dangerous for the passengers. And give anxiety, this is because passenger can not move to driver seat the reason that that area of car is locked and no one can enter. That is why passenger can not do anything and can not step out the car because doors are looked and can not access anything.

In conclusion, I believe that the advantages of driverless vehicles, such as more safety and independence for people, are greater than the disadvantages. But i will suggest, governments need to make new laws and create new jobs to solve the problems caused by this technology. If it goes continues many causes of accident will be reduce.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on safety outlines specific human errors like 'speeding, drink driving or feeling tired' that autonomous systems can eliminate. The advantages regarding accessibility for elderly and disabled individuals are also well-articulated. However, some arguments in the third paragraph, particularly concerning passenger anxiety and locked doors, become slightly repetitive and less developed. Overall, the position is maintained throughout and the main aspects of the task are adequately covered, fitting comfortably into the band 6 descriptor profile.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct paragraphs for advantages, disadvantages, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally become faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition in the third paragraph regarding passenger anxiety ('And give anxiety, this is because...') lacks smooth integration and contains fragmented expression. Paragraphing and logical flow are generally present, but occasional awkward transitions place this response in band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'rapidly evolving world', 'independent', and 'unemployment problems'. However, there are notable limitations and word-choice errors that prevent a higher score. Phrases like 'driverless vehicles can make travelling more safe' (instead of safer), 'one of best reason is' (instead of one of the best reasons is), and awkward phrasing like 'give anxiety' demonstrate a lack of precision. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary choice remains somewhat basic and repetitive in places, aligning well with the band 6 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures ('If a computer will drive the vehicle...') and relative clauses ('...people who can not drive by themselves...'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb tenses and modal usage, such as 'If a computer will drive' (should be drives), 'which people can not drive' (should be people who cannot drive), and 'doors are looked' (should be locked). Additionally, sentence fragments like 'And give anxiety...' disrupt grammatical flow. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to cap the score at band 5.5.

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