Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-19

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 4.0)

To begin with, there are several reasons why this topic is important in our daily life. The main reason is that [TOPIC] can have a direct effect on people and society. Many people face this issue in their daily lives, and it can influence their lifestyle in different ways. For example, it may affect people’s work, education, health, family life, or relationships. In addition, young people and families can also be influenced by this situation. Another important point is that [TOPIC] can have both positive and negative effects. It mainly depends on how people use it and how they deal with the situation. Therefore, people should understand this issue and think carefully before making any decision.

Moreover, there are some possible ways to improve the situation. People should have proper knowledge about the issue and should make responsible decisions. They should also understand the advantages and disadvantages before taking any action. The government, schools, and families can play an important role by providing guidance, education, and support. For instance, simple rules, useful information, and better awareness can help people make better choices. In this way, many problems can be controlled and people can have a better life. It is also important that everyone should take responsibility and work together to solve this issue.

In conclusion, [TOPIC] is an important issue that should not be ignored. It can affect individuals, families, and society in different ways. If people, families, schools, and the government work together, the negative effects can be reduced and the overall situation can be improved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The response fails to address the specific prompt regarding whether the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages. Instead, the student relies heavily on generic templated phrases containing placeholder tokens like '[TOPIC]'. There is no mention of cars, buses, trucks, or any specific pros and cons of driverless technology. The position is entirely absent because the writer discusses a generic social issue rather than the transportation prompt. Consequently, this falls significantly short of the requirements for Task Achievement, earning a band score of 3.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay is divided into three paragraphs with basic paragraphing structure. However, because the content consists of pre-memorised, generic boilerplates featuring '[TOPIC]' placeholders, there is no logical progression regarding the actual prompt. Cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used mechanically to link hollow sentences together rather than to develop a coherent argument about driverless vehicles. While the structural framework of an essay is superficially present, the lack of topical coherence limits the score to a 4.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used throughout the essay is extremely basic, repetitive, and heavily generic (e.g., 'daily life', 'positive and negative effects', 'better life', 'important issue'). The text lacks any topic-specific vocabulary related to autonomous vehicles, transportation, technology, or urban planning. Furthermore, the reliance on '[TOPIC]' indicates memorised template usage rather than genuine lexical deployment for the task. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to express simple generic concepts, fitting a band 4.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The text demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple and straightforward complex sentences with modal verbs (e.g., 'People should have proper knowledge', 'This situation can affect individuals'). There are some grammatically correct sentences, but the repetitive patterns and total abstraction from the prompt limit the structural variety. Frequent errors are avoided due to the simplistic and formulaic nature of the sentences, but the overall control remains at a band 4.0 level.

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

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