There are more cars on the roads these days and more accidents are happening. As a result, some politicians have suggested that people should take regular driving tests throughout their lives, rather than one single test. What do you think are the advantages of repeat driving tests? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
(Drawbacks outweigh the advantages) In most countries, people take a driving test before they are granted a driving licence, and its renewal does not require retaking the test. Some bureaucrats, however, suggest that repetitive tests should replace the conventional "once in a lifetime test" policy. The proposed policy has some advantages but the drawbacks are far greater. To commence with, the repetitive driving tests seem like a solution to the increasing driving offence, but in reality, people's carelessness, violation of traffic rules and drunk driving are the main causes for most road accidents. Therefore the authorities should spend more money and manpower for ensuring road safety than retesting the driver's ability. It is a scientific fact that adept drivers are less likely to forget their driving skills unless they lose their sanity. Considering this, the authority should update the drivers about the changes in traffic rules, and make them aware of road safety, not test their ability every year. Finally, strict punishment and penalties should be imposed for the traffic rule violation to get the desired result. Furthermore, a periodic driving test would waste people's money, time and energy on the one hand, and drain the government's budget on the other hand. According to a recent report, new applicants have to wait for several weeks to get a driving licence due to the insufficient facility and manpower, for example. Having the repetitive driving skill test would thus make this far worse and completely unmanageable. To conclude, rather than questing people's ability to remember how to drive, strict policies and road safety should be given priority. Drivers should be educated, not tested on their ability to drive a car as this proposed policy would add burden both to the ordinary people and the authority.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Delete planning note Original: (Drawbacks outweigh the advantages) Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This parenthetical phrase is an editing note rather than part of the essay's prose.
- 2. Use periodic-test term Original: repetitive tests Suggested revision: periodic tests Why it matters: “Periodic” describes tests taken at regular intervals, whereas “repetitive” suggests needless repetition.
- 3. Use natural opener Original: To commence with Suggested revision: To begin with Why it matters: “To begin with” is the conventional transition for the first point.
- 4. Use plural offence phrase Original: the increasing driving offence Suggested revision: the increasing number of driving offences Why it matters: A countable trend requires “number of” followed by a plural noun.
- 5. Fix cause preposition Original: causes for most road accidents Suggested revision: causes of most road accidents Why it matters: The noun “cause” takes “of” before its result.
- 6. Punctuate result linker Original: Therefore the authorities Suggested revision: Therefore, the authorities Why it matters: A sentence-opening conjunctive adverb requires a comma.
- 7. Fix spending comparison Original: more money and manpower for ensuring road safety than retesting Suggested revision: more money and personnel on ensuring road safety rather than on retesting Why it matters: “Spend” takes “on”, and “rather than” creates the intended comparison.
- 8. Use plural drivers Original: the driver's ability Suggested revision: drivers' abilities Why it matters: The policy concerns multiple drivers, so both the possessive and noun should be plural.
- 9. Use plural authority Original: the authority should update Suggested revision: the authorities should update Why it matters: Road-safety administration is represented by plural authorities in this general statement.
- 10. Remove unnecessary comma Original: traffic rules, and make Suggested revision: traffic rules and make Why it matters: A comma should not separate two coordinated verbs with the same subject.
- 11. Remove overlapping nouns Original: strict punishment and penalties Suggested revision: strict penalties Why it matters: “Punishment” and “penalties” overlap here, so one precise noun is sufficient.
- 12. Use formal outcome phrase Original: to get the desired result Suggested revision: to achieve the desired outcome Why it matters: “Achieve an outcome” is more precise and formal than “get a result”.
Suggested Rewrites
- (Drawbacks outweigh the advantages) Delete
- repetitive tests periodic tests
- To commence with To begin with
- the increasing driving offence the increasing number of driving offences
- causes for most road accidents causes of most road accidents
- Therefore the authorities Therefore, the authorities
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response presents a clear judgement and develops the financial, administrative, and practical disadvantages of repeated tests with relevant alternatives such as education and enforcement. However, it barely answers the explicit question about the advantages of repeat testing, mentioning improved safety only to dismiss it, and the essay is presented as one paragraph. The essential improvement is to explain genuine benefits such as detecting declining ability before comparing them with the costs.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
The disadvantages and final position are developed clearly, but the requested advantages of repeat testing are not meaningfully explained, leaving a major part of the task incomplete.
Develop at least two benefits, such as identifying age-related impairment and refreshing knowledge of changed rules, before making the outweighing judgement.
Coherence and Cohesion
The reasoning progresses from accident causes to alternatives and administrative costs, but the single-paragraph format and inserted opening label weaken organisation.
Use separate paragraphs for potential advantages, disadvantages, alternative policies, and the final comparison.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficiently varied and often precise for driving, enforcement, and public administration, though several awkward or inaccurate choices occur.
Replace expressions such as increasing driving offence, lose their sanity, and questing people's ability with precise neutral wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is generally controlled and meaning remains clear, despite recurring article, number, preposition, and noun-phrase errors.
Proofread countable nouns and articles in phrases about tests, offences, facilities, authorities, and burdens.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
There are more cars on the roads these days and more accidents are happening. As a result, some politicians have suggested that people should take regular driving tests throughout their lives, rather than one single test. What do you think are the advantages of repeat driving tests? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.