Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-28
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 the future, it is likely that cars, buses and trucks will operate without human drivers, although this development can have downsides like more road accidents and less employment ratio amongdrivers community. I believe that the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh disadvantages.
On the one hand, the main disadvantage of using driverless vehicles is increasing number of accidents. Vehicles without drivers are not more precise , like professional drivers may have technical faults,particularly during heavy traffic . As a result, they may hit pedestrians or collide with other vehicles. Furthermore, there can be significant decline in the number of jobs for drivers. This could create unemployment, particularly for the people who have limited qualifications. For example, Tesla is introducing driverless cars that are embedded with AI technology, but this is causing more unemployment.
On the other hand,there are numerous potential benefits of driverless cars. First, driverless vehicles are more convenient for the people who feel more tired and have hectic schedules. For example, these vehicles help office staff to reach their home more easily without becoming more exhausted and stressed. Secondly, using driverless vehicles is the most viable way for people with different mobility issues, like eyesightedness or some sort of disability. For instance, driverless vehicles can be used by elderly people who are not physically fit or have any limitation.
In conclusion, although driverless vehicles can be notable cause of accidents, nevertheless the potential for convenience and help for people with physical limitations means that I believe their advantages outweigh their disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles, while presenting a clear position throughout that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. The ideas are generally relevant, but some points are slightly under-developed or contain sweeping generalisations. For instance, the disadvantage regarding unemployment is supported by a brief mention of Tesla, but the reasoning remains basic. Similarly, the advantages focus on convenience and accessibility for individuals with disabilities, which effectively supports the position. However, to reach a higher band, the arguments could have been extended with more thorough analysis or concrete data. Overall, the response meets the core requirements of Task Achievement and presents a coherent stance, aligning well with the descriptors for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. The essay is appropriately divided into four paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'As a result' are used to connect ideas, though some transitional phrasing feels slightly mechanical or formulaic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the argument, and referencing is mostly clear throughout the text. While the structural framework is solid, the occasional awkward transition prevents it from reaching a higher band, placing it comfortably at Band 6.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'driverless vehicles', 'technological faults', 'unemployment', and 'mobility issues'. There are, however, some noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'less employment ratio amongdrivers community' (instead of 'lower employment rate among the driving community') and 'eyesightedness' (instead of 'visual impairment'). Spelling is generally accurate, but minor slips in word formation and collocation prevent the vocabulary from achieving the flexibility and precision required for a Band 7.0. Therefore, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to use varied grammatical structures. Examples include subordinate clauses like 'although this development can have downsides' and 'people who have limited qualifications'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('increasing number of accidents', 'significant decline'), incorrect preposition usage ('amongdrivers community'), and awkward punctuation spacing throughout the text. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they persist across both simple and complex sentences, indicating that the writer has not yet achieved the frequent error-free sentences characteristic of Band 7.0. A score of 6.0 accurately reflects this control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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