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?
Sample Response
With rapid technological development, driverless vehicles are becoming a reality, and within a couple of decades, all cars will run without the intervention of a human driver. I personally believe that driverless cars will bring far more benefits than the possible drawbacks they have.
To begin with the drawbacks, driverless cars pose some risks, including accidents and casualties, should the technology malfunction. Since the vehicles would be run and controlled by software and technology, the risk of devastating accidents due to bugs or hacking could not be eliminated. It will make us more susceptible to hackers and software glitches. An accident, in which a woman died, caused by a driverless car while still in beta mode, caused a great uproar a few years ago. Moreover, not all roads, especially those in poor nations with ditches, holes and insufficient road signals, are suitable for those automated cars to run smoothly.
However, technology-made mistakes are astronomically fewer than man-made blunders when it comes to road safety and casualties, and this is where driverless automobiles can make a significant improvement. Though we point out a single accident made by a driverless car, human drivers are responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of casualties each day all around the world. With the introduction of automated cars, accidents would reduce remarkably making roads safer for all. On top of that, millions of hours could be saved each day since we would no longer need to sit behind the wheel. It will increase our productivity and boost the national economy.
In conclusion, driverless vehicles have many great benefits including road safety and economic benefits, and it is expected that we could eliminate the software-related issues to reap the maximum benefits of this marvellous technology.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify future period Original: within a couple of decades Suggested revision: within the next few decades Why it matters: The revision makes the future reference more explicit.
- 2. Use natural driver phrase Original: intervention Suggested revision: involvement Why it matters: ‘Involvement’ more naturally describes whether a person controls the vehicle.
- 3. Condense drawback phrase Original: possible drawbacks they have Suggested revision: potential drawbacks Why it matters: The shorter phrase conveys the same meaning more precisely.
- 4. Use clear transition Original: To begin with the drawbacks Suggested revision: Turning to the drawbacks Why it matters: This transition introduces the opposing side more naturally.
- 5. Remove redundant control terms Original: run and controlled by software and technology Suggested revision: operated by software Why it matters: Software is the relevant technology, and ‘run and controlled’ repeats the same idea.
- 6. Keep future logic Original: could not be eliminated Suggested revision: cannot be eliminated Why it matters: The present modal fits a general future risk more consistently than the past form.
- 7. Clarify the reference Original: It will make us Suggested revision: This dependence could make road users Why it matters: The revision identifies what creates the vulnerability and who is affected.
- 8. Use neutral country term Original: poor nations Suggested revision: lower-income countries Why it matters: This is a more precise and neutral description of economic conditions.
- 9. Use precise road term Original: ditches, holes Suggested revision: potholes Why it matters: ‘Potholes’ concisely identifies the road-surface problem described.
- 10. Use road-sign term Original: insufficient road signals Suggested revision: inadequate road signage Why it matters: ‘Road signage’ is the natural term for signs and visual traffic information.
- 11. Simplify suitability phrase Original: suitable for those automated cars to run smoothly Suggested revision: suitable for automated vehicles Why it matters: The adjective ‘suitable’ can take the vehicle noun directly here.
- 12. Use natural error term Original: technology-made mistakes Suggested revision: technological errors Why it matters: ‘Technological errors’ is the idiomatic term for mistakes arising from technology.
Suggested Rewrites
- within a couple of decades within the next few decades
- intervention involvement
- possible drawbacks they have potential drawbacks
- To begin with the drawbacks Turning to the drawbacks
- run and controlled by software and technology operated by software
- could not be eliminated cannot be eliminated
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay presents a clear comparative position and develops both the technological risks and the larger safety and productivity benefits through relevant explanation and examples. Its main weakness is precision: several claims are overstated, some references are vague, and modal tenses shift between present, future, and hypothetical outcomes. The priority is to make the direct comparison more measured and support the economic benefit with a more concrete explanation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
The response directly answers the question, maintains a clear position, and develops both disadvantages and stronger advantages with relevant support.
Strengthen the comparison by explicitly explaining why the scale of safety and productivity gains outweighs the malfunction and infrastructure risks.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing and progression are clear, and the contrast between risks and benefits is easy to follow despite a few vague references.
Replace pronouns such as 'It' with precise nouns and connect the saved-time point more explicitly to the productivity conclusion.
Lexical Resource
The essay uses a broad range of topic vocabulary, though combinations such as 'technology-made mistakes,' 'accident made by,' and 'reduce remarkably' are imprecise.
Use natural forms such as 'technological failures,' 'accident involving an autonomous vehicle,' and 'accident rates would fall considerably.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex structures is generally controlled, but modal inconsistency, awkward clause embedding, and occasional active-passive errors remain.
Keep hypothetical outcomes consistently in 'would' forms and write 'accidents would be reduced' rather than 'accidents would reduce.'
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.