Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-07

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 4.5)

With the advancement in the science and technology , the means of transportation have also eased the lifes of people. The journeys across the globe have become more conviniant. Now a days the use of cars, buses, trains ,lorries and even aircrafts has increased ten fold then 10 years back. These all are used for either personal or official travelling of people or transporting goods for the purpose of goods.

The statement given above says that most of the people have made up their minds that they will travel either a few times annually or will not travel at all. The reasons behind these decisions can be vast. We will discuss those reasons as well as the pros and cons of effects these decisions have on environment and society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response introduces the general topic of transport and recognises that people are choosing to fly less, but it does not answer the central question. There is no clear view on whether environmental benefits outweigh disadvantages, and neither side is explained with relevant reasons or examples. The final sentence only promises to discuss reasons and effects; it does not actually do so. The response also falls substantially short of the required minimum of 250 words, leaving the task largely incomplete. To improve, state your position directly, then develop environmental benefits—such as lower aviation emissions—and compare them with effects on individuals and businesses, supporting each point with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic sequence: the opening discusses transport generally, and the next paragraph refers to the prompt and announces what will be discussed. This gives the reader some sense of direction. However, the response does not progress into the promised discussion, so there is no developed argument or conclusion. Linking is also limited and somewhat mechanical, as in “The statement given above says” and “We will discuss those reasons.” Organise the essay into clear paragraphs for your position, environmental benefits, disadvantages, and conclusion. Use linking expressions to show how each point relates to the question, rather than describing the essay plan without carrying it out.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some topic-related vocabulary, including “means of transportation,” “aircrafts,” and “transporting goods,” and the general subject is understandable. However, the range is limited, with repeated broad terms such as “people,” “travel,” and “decisions,” and there is little precise language for discussing environmental effects or business and personal disadvantages. Several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “conviniant,” “lifes,” and “ten fold then.” These reduce accuracy and polish, although the main meaning remains accessible. Build a more relevant vocabulary set—for example, emissions, carbon footprint, air travel, tourism, and business travel—and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates its basic meaning through mostly simple sentence patterns and a few attempts at more complex structures, such as “The reasons behind these decisions can be vast.” However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction and punctuation. For example, the opening has awkward article and preposition use in “With the advancement in the science and technology,” while “The journeys across the globe have become…” is not followed by a fully accurate form. Commas and spacing are also inconsistent, particularly in the transport list. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add controlled clauses to explain causes, consequences, and comparisons. Proofread articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation.

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

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