Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-13

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 upcoming years all vehicles will be operated without a human driver, humans will only sit as passengers in cars, buses and trucks. Although advancement in motor vehicles is fascinating, I largely believe it comes with the cost of severe drawbacks.

One major disadvantage is sensitivity of this technology. As all cars will be operating merely on artifical intelligence based software, a small error in its algorithm or a short-circuit can eventually lead to a major accident or failure of a vehicle in midway. To illustrate, if a human is driving a vehicle in case of any malfunction he can rapair it rather than driving a car entirely based on software which he do not even understand.

Second expected leading cause is recession. As with the advancement of technology only driverless cars will be on road. This will result is loss of jobs for people whose living is linked with driving the cars. Although technology is the furture, it should be maintained in it's limits to avoid any consuquences. For instance, many people are drivers by profession and they not have any other skill, by using only driverless cars they will be at risk to hunger.

Overall, technological advancements are essential and crucial for any country and people but they should be utilized in a limited way. If we allowed this technology to take over everything particularly the idea of driverless cars. Many people will be at stake of losing their careers. So, I believe advancement should be made while keeping interests of people in mind.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you believe the disadvantages of driverless vehicles outweigh their benefits, and you give two relevant concerns—technical failure and job losses. The examples about a software malfunction and professional drivers help connect these points to real consequences. However, the response addresses the advantages only briefly, mainly through the general statement that technological advancement is important; it does not explain a specific benefit of driverless transport or weigh that benefit against the risks. Some claims also need fuller explanation, such as how a driver could repair a malfunctioning vehicle. To strengthen the response, develop both sides of the comparison and explain why the disadvantages ultimately carry greater weight, using more precise supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting disadvantages, and a concluding paragraph that restates your view. Sequencing phrases such as “One major disadvantage” and “Second” make the main points easy to identify. Overall, the ideas are arranged coherently, but some links between sentences are awkward or unclear. For example, “This will result is loss of jobs” does not clearly connect the predicted change to its consequence, and the final paragraph begins a conditional sentence with “If” but does not complete it grammatically. The conclusion also repeats the employment concern rather than synthesising both arguments. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and ensure each paragraph develops one point through explanation and evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “artificial intelligence,” “algorithm,” “malfunction,” “recession,” and “technological advancements.” These choices show an attempt to discuss the issue beyond basic everyday language. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision, such as “sensitivity of this technology,” “failure of a vehicle in midway,” and “at risk to hunger.” There are also spelling errors, including “artifical,” “rapair,” and “furture,” which make the writing less controlled. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. For instance, describe the technology as “vulnerable to technical faults,” and say that workers may “face unemployment” or “struggle to earn a living.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concession with “Although” and conditional ideas about malfunctions. Meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur in several sentence patterns and sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “a human is driving … he can rapair it” shifts awkwardly between a general condition and pronouns, while “people … they not have any other skill” is missing an auxiliary verb. The sentence beginning “If we allowed this technology to take over everything” is incomplete because it has no main clause. There are also agreement and article problems, as in “a small error … can … lead” followed by “which he do not even understand.” Practise complete conditional sentences and check subject–verb agreement and clause structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.