Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether.

Do you think the environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

A number of people have taken a decision in reducing the number of times they used to fly every year or to stop flying altogether. I believe that although this development contribute to some environmental benefits such as reducing carbon footprints, its drawbacks are far more for individuals and businesses.

On the one hand, one of the most obvious advantages in reducing the number or stop the flying is it reduces the harmful carbon emission. Airplanes require a substantial amount of fuel to run which then burn and release a higher amount of carbon dioxide to the environment. If people stop flying, the environment will become less polluted. However, only reducing carbon dioxide have a little impact in environmental benefits because other reasons such as deforestation, climate change, and burning forests have a higher impact in environment pollution.

On the other hand, this trend has a several disadvantages for the people and businesses. Individuals have a greater future opportunity in abroad. Thus, many students want to persue their higher studies abroad to make a better future. If people decide to stop or reduce flying, students will not get chance to fulfill their dream or even they manage to go, they may not come back to their own country. As well as, many business person who want to expand their business in abroad or those who already have both national and international companies, they may need to fly many times in a year for many purposes. So, it will be difficult for them to manage all these things without flying.

In conclusion, while reducing or stop flying has environmental benefits such as helps to decrease carbon dioxide emission, but this development has more negative effects in case of individuals and businesses such as becoming a hinder in students' future career or expansion of businesses. Therefore, I strongly believe that the environmental benefits of this development will not outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you accept that flying less can reduce emissions, but argue that the disadvantages for people and businesses are greater. You address both sides and give relevant examples, particularly students seeking education abroad and businesses needing international travel. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that students may not return to their country is not clearly linked to reducing flights, and the environmental discussion shifts to deforestation without explaining how this affects the comparison. Develop the consequences more precisely and support them with a specific example or explanation. The response contains 311 words; 8 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion that restates your view. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the main stages easy to follow. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “However” introduces a point about other sources of pollution, but the relationship between that point and the limited benefit of flying less needs clearer explanation. The sentence beginning “Thus” also moves quickly from future opportunities to students studying abroad. Use linking phrases to show the precise cause-and-effect relationship, and make references such as “this development” or “these things” more specific. This would strengthen progression between ideas and within paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your argument, including “carbon dioxide,” “environmental benefits,” “higher studies abroad,” and “expand their business.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “substantial amount of fuel.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “a decision in reducing,” “a higher amount of carbon dioxide to the environment,” and “a hinder in students’ future career” do not express the intended meanings naturally. Spelling errors such as “persue” also reduce accuracy. Build a bank of common collocations for environmental impacts, education, and business, and check word forms and spelling. More precise vocabulary would help you explain your ideas without relying on broad phrases such as “many purposes.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If people stop flying, the environment will become less polluted” and a concession in the opening sentence. The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “this development contribute” needs subject–verb agreement, while “one of the most obvious advantages … is it reduces” needs a clearer grammatical construction. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and verb forms in “a several disadvantages” and “reducing or stop flying has.” Aim to make each sentence’s subject and verb clear, and check agreement and parallel forms when joining actions. Greater control of these patterns, alongside your existing complex sentences, would improve accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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