Banning Mobile Phones While Driving
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 296 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
Many countries already prohibit holding a mobile phone while driving, but some experts argue that even hands-free conversations are dangerous and should also be made illegal. To what extent do you agree or disagree that governments should make all mobile phone use while driving — including hands-free — against the law? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01State your position clearly in the introduction — partial or full agreement
- 02Use research-backed claims to support cognitive-distraction arguments
- 03Acknowledge a counter-argument and refute it for a stronger essay
- 04Use formal phrasing: 'the most compelling argument', 'a second consideration'
- 05Reinforce your stance in the conclusion without simply repeating it
- 06Aim for 280 to 320 words — long enough to develop arguments, short enough to stay focused
Model answer
296 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Road safety regulations have struggled to keep pace with the rise of smartphones, and a growing body of evidence suggests that the danger lies not in holding a device but in the cognitive distraction it causes. I strongly agree that governments should outlaw all mobile phone use behind the wheel, including hands-free conversations.
The most compelling argument for a comprehensive ban is that the human brain cannot fully attend to two demanding tasks simultaneously. Numerous studies — including research by the University of Utah and the World Health Organization — have shown that drivers on hands-free calls have reaction times comparable to those over the legal alcohol limit. The illusion that voice-only communication is safe encourages risk-taking, while in reality the cognitive load remains essentially the same as holding a phone. Banning only handheld use therefore creates a misleading sense of security.
A second consideration is enforcement clarity. Police can readily detect a driver holding a device, but distinguishing a hands-free conversation from listening to the radio is far more difficult. By outlawing all phone-related activity outright, governments would send a consistent public-health message: driving demands undivided attention. Pedestrian deaths involving distracted drivers have risen sharply over the past decade, and clearer laws would simplify both education and prosecution.
Critics may argue that such legislation is impractical and over-restrictive, particularly for professional drivers who rely on hands-free systems. However, modern vehicles can be equipped with voice-message replies and emergency-only exemptions, and commercial fleets can mandate scheduled break-time calls. The minor inconvenience pales against the preventable loss of life on our roads.
In conclusion, since hands-free conversations impose nearly the same cognitive cost as handheld use, governments are justified in banning all forms of mobile phone activity while driving. Public safety must outweigh the convenience of staying constantly connected.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
5 more than the median answer for this task type
6 words at the shortest, 36 at the longest
the same as the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19.7 words and vary by 7.8 words either side of that, running from 6 words to 36. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 7 of the 15 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
6 in total, spread across 3 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
however, while
therefore, since
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 85 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 75 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 4 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Clearly state and develop an opinion on hands-free phone use
Coherence & Cohesion
Each paragraph develops a single, well-supported point
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary related to safety, law, and cognition
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Modal verbs, conditionals, and complex sentences accurately used
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