Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

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 5.0)

In the future all cars, buses and trucks will be driven without a driver. The only people being transported inside these vehicles will be passengers. I do not think that the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages.

To start with, it is a very big risk for cars to be on the road with no driver. Given the fact that accidents can happen in a spilt second and machines are not coded to respond to accident and emergencies happening to the passengers in the vehicle. For example, in a case that a passenger is having an asthma attack and the trip is programmed to take 2 hours, it is going to take more than 10 minutes to re-program the vehicle to stop while on the road and may lead to death. In contrast, if the vehicle had a driver, the driver would be fast enough to respond to any emergency that would occur in the vehicle.

Another disadvantage is crime detection. If any abnormal activity is to go on in a vehicle.Only one with a driver will this activity be detected. This is because driverless vehicles tend to not have camera for the privacy of the users, but when things do not as planned the driver will be the last witness. For example, I heard a story of a girl that was drugged and strangled in the backseat of a uber car.This case was about to be called out because even though the family swore that it was the girl boyfriend that commited the crime, no one had evidence until he driver spoke up because even though the murderers friends kept him distracted through the murder he had a mirror in the truck reflecting all that occured.

Lastly, I do not support the idea of cars being driven with no driver in the danger of, emergenies and crime detention.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and you give two relevant concerns—emergency response and crime detection. The examples help explain these concerns, particularly the asthma scenario. However, the response addresses the question only partially because it does not explain any advantages or directly weigh them against the disadvantages. The final paragraph repeats your position rather than developing a conclusion or adding a reasoned comparison. The crime example is also difficult to follow, so its relevance and support are weakened. To strengthen the response, briefly acknowledge a benefit, such as improved access for people unable to drive, then explain why the risks you identify are more significant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a concluding statement. Phrases such as “To start with,” “Another disadvantage,” and “Lastly” signal the intended sequence. However, progression is limited: the final paragraph largely repeats the introduction, and there is no paragraph considering the opposing side before reaching a conclusion. Some connections are unclear, especially the transition from the claim about cameras and privacy to the story about the murder. Sentence boundaries also disrupt flow, as in “If any abnormal activity is to go on in a vehicle.Only one with a driver will this activity be detected.” Use complete sentences and clearer links between each claim, explanation, and example; then make the conclusion synthesise the argument rather than repeat it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “driverless vehicles,” “passengers,” “accidents,” “emergency,” and “privacy,” so the main concerns are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “asthma attack” and “crime detection.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, or collocation errors make parts difficult to interpret: “spilt second,” “crime detention,” “commited,” and “things do not as planned.” Some expressions are imprecise, including “very big risk” and “abnormal activity.” Aim for accurate, natural phrases and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “split second,” “emergency response,” and “criminal activity” would make the argument clearer and more appropriate for an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including conditional reasoning in “if the vehicle had a driver, the driver would be fast enough to respond.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors sometimes make the intended meaning hard to follow. For example, “Given the fact that accidents can happen…” is a sentence fragment, while “machines are not coded to respond to accident and emergencies happening to the passengers” has an unclear grammatical relationship between its parts. There are also sentence-boundary and punctuation problems, such as “vehicle.Only,” and the final sentence is incomplete or awkwardly constructed. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation when combining clauses.

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