Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-24

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)

Due to the rapid emergence of technology, people are acquiring more advanced skills with each passing day. Even though drivers of trucks, buses and cars are very skillful, however, they often tend to drive recklessly which jeopardizes the passengers inside the vehicle. There are many factors which come into play when balancing the advantages and disadvantages of having drivers or no drivers at all.

The advantages of having no driver is quite simple. You can acquire the skill yourself and drive whenever you want and wherever you want without having to be under the pressure of employing somebody. This not only saves money but also gives a relief from the mental stress of hiring someone trustworthy and skillful. If it's your vehicle, you definitely would take care of it like your own child which I usually do. I have a private car which I take to my univeristy driving it myself and this gives me confidence alongside economical advantages.

The disadvantages of having a driverless vehicles are not that prominent. Sometimes when we travel long distances, we do need an experienced driver who understands the routes well enough but in my opinion, with the help of google map, it has become quite easier to navigate the direction now. However, the only shortcoming that I can acknowledge is the unemployment rate. Driving creates a significant percentage of employment opportunities for people, specially for a third world country like Bangladesh, our remittances depend on the employers working abroad in various sectors including driving. Having said that, passengers might not have access to learn how to drive due to not owning a vehicle themselves unless it is an electric vehicle or a controlled one.

There is always two sides of a coin and it is difficult to measure the pros and cons of a basic life skill which is also being used to make a living. After doing a small evaluation, my take on the matter is that, I do not think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear final view that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and you include relevant points about employment, long-distance travel and the convenience of driving your own car. However, the response only partially addresses the specific scenario: the task is about vehicles operating without drivers, whereas much of your discussion treats “having no driver” as an opportunity for passengers to learn and drive themselves. This shifts the focus away from automation. The employment point is relevant but needs fuller explanation, and the claim that driverless vehicles have few disadvantages is not reconciled with your final position. To strengthen the response, explain the likely safety and convenience benefits of automation, develop its risks, and maintain a consistent comparison leading to your conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a concluding opinion. Linking expressions such as “However” and “Having said that” help signal contrasts. Nevertheless, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because the first body paragraph discusses the reader driving their own car, rather than the benefits of a driverless vehicle, and the final paragraph introduces a general saying instead of synthesising the comparison. Some connections are also unclear: the point about remittances and employers abroad does not clearly explain how it supports the employment argument. Organise each body paragraph around one directly relevant claim, then explain its consequence and provide an example. This would make the overall progression clearer and reduce abrupt shifts.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss the topic, including “recklessly,” “mental stress,” “unemployment rate,” and “employment opportunities.” These choices allow you to communicate several relevant ideas, and some less common expressions are attempted. However, a number of word choices and collocations are imprecise or awkward, such as “acquire the skill yourself” for learning to drive, “a relief from the mental stress,” and “under the pressure of employing somebody.” “Skillful” is also repeated, and “univeristy” is misspelled. Aim for more precise language about automation, such as “autonomous vehicles,” “human error,” and “job displacement,” while checking spelling and natural word combinations. This would make your argument clearer and more appropriately academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning “Even though” and “unless,” and most of your meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors occur, but they rarely prevent understanding. For example, “The advantages … is” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “There is always two sides” should use a plural verb. The opening also combines “Even though” with “however,” creating an awkward structure. In “the disadvantages of having a driverless vehicles,” the article and plural noun do not agree. Review agreement, articles and sentence construction, and proofread punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would help you express comparisons and cause-and-effect relationships with greater control.

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