Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-15

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)

The topic of driverless cars has become a widely discussed issue in contemporary society. Some people believe that it has several advantages, whereas others argue that it may have certain drawbacks. This essay will critically evaluate the key benefits and drawbacks before reaching a well- reasoned conclusion.

On the one hand, proponents of driverless vehicles primarily contend that automated cars are more likely to make our lives easier. Due to the fact that we do not need to drive the car, which can have a significant impact on our financial resources, because we are able to save our money. Additionally, supporters of this development argue that driverless cars tend to mitigate traffic congestion; as a result, if cars are automated, individuals can buy a car with sharing. Therefore, by sharing cars, we are more likely to minimise the number of vehicles. A pertinent illustration of this can be seen in developed countries, where they are already utilizing the driverless cars, thereby highlighting the tangible benefits of this approach.

On the other hand, one significant drawback of this driverless car is that it can increase the number of accidents. This is because a driverless car would be run by using artificial intelligence, which can ultimately lead to facing a lot of accidents. Another key explanation is that driverless cars will not be able to go to the exact destination; therefore, we are destined to face some serious problems, directly influencing the ability of people to face some serious difficulties in their emergency time.

In conclusion, after examining these arguments, I am convinced that the benefits are far more significant. While various dimensions surround this issue, the analysis above makes it clear that the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks, primarily because we will obtain more facilities in our daily life through automated cars. Therefore, this remains the most practical path forward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles and provides a clear concluding position that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. However, the development of ideas in the body paragraphs is somewhat superficial and relies on vague reasoning. For instance, the claim that automated cars will save financial resources is not fully elaborated, and the explanation regarding traffic congestion and car sharing is unclear. Similarly, the points regarding accidents caused by artificial intelligence and the inability of vehicles to reach exact destinations lack concrete supporting details. While the task is adequately addressed, the arguments would benefit from deeper extension and more specific examples rather than sweeping generalisations, placing this performance firmly at Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response features an overall logical arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is utilised correctly to separate the opposing viewpoints. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the text, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion within sentences are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, sentences like 'Due to the fact that we do not need to drive the car, which can have a significant impact on our financial resources, because we are able to save our money' display confusing transitions and run-on structures that disrupt the logical flow. Progression is present, but mechanical overuse of certain transition phrases keeps the score at a Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'contemporary society', 'automated cars', 'traffic congestion', and 'artificial intelligence'. However, there are noticeable limitations and occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. Phrases like 'obtain more facilities in our daily life' are unnatural, and 'emergency time' should be 'emergencies'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but word formation and precision are inconsistent. While communication is not impeded and the lexical range is sufficient to convey the main arguments, these inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'Some people believe that it has several advantages, whereas others argue that it may have certain drawbacks.' Nonetheless, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. For example, the sentence starting with 'Due to the fact that...' is grammatically incomplete and tangled. Additionally, expressions like 'utilizing the driverless cars' contain unnecessary articles, and 'run by using artificial intelligence' is overly wordy. Although these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency means that error-free sentences are not in the majority, which is required for Band 7.

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

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