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 during heavy traffic . As a result, they may hit pedestrians or bump into other vehicles. Furthermore, there can be significant decline in 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 | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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, ultimately presenting a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are generally relevant, but some are slightly under-developed or rely on broad generalizations. For instance, the discussion on road accidents mentions that vehicles without drivers might have technical faults during heavy traffic, but this point could be explained with more depth or supporting evidence. Similarly, the example regarding Tesla introduces AI technology but lacks elaboration on why this directly correlates with increased unemployment in the broader context. Nevertheless, the position is maintained throughout, and the main arguments concerning convenience and mobility for disabled or elderly individuals are effectively presented. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor where all parts of the task are addressed, though some ideas require further expansion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the disadvantages in the first body paragraph from the advantages in the second. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'First', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion'. However, some cohesive ties are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'nevertheless the potential for convenience' in the concluding sentence, which disrupts the natural flow. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional transitional lapses mean the progression is not always entirely seamless. Overall, the organizational structure satisfies the requirements for a Band 6, featuring a logical layout despite some mechanical cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms such as 'driverless vehicles', 'pedestrians', 'AI technology', 'mobility issues', and 'hectic schedules'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is sometimes accompanied by awkward collocations or minor word choice errors, such as 'less employment ratio amongdrivers community' instead of 'unemployment among professional drivers' or 'eyesightedness' instead of 'visual impairment'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor lexical slips indicate a limitation in precision and control. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('In the future, it is likely that...'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, including missing articles ('less employment ratio', 'during heavy traffic', 'have any limitation'), incorrect prepositions ('reach their home' instead of 'reach home'), and punctuation issues like missing spaces before commas. While these errors occur fairly frequently, they rarely impede communication or obscure the overall meaning of the text. Because the student attempts a variety of structures alongside a mixture of accurate and flawed sentences, this performance corresponds to a Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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