Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-26

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 7.0)

Since the last couple decades, commercial aviation has risen in popularity more and more. Nowadays, it has become greatly common for a huge portion of the world's population to take the plane a few times a year. Whether it is business travels or individual ones both have their set of advantages and downsides. While some argue that reducing plane usage is essential to preserve our environment others believe that the benefits outweigh its disadvantages. As far as I am concerned, I strongly believe that a more subtle approach is essential and that it is important to not oppose both positions but rather merge them to take advantage of their strengths.

In fact, it is undeniable that all commercial flights pollute a lot and lead to a worsening in the actual environmental state of the earth and contribute to the risen of the global warming. Moreover, what is even worse is that this mean of travel has been banalized and became the norm of a lot of unnecessary trips. Nowadays, a large number of people take the plane to go from a city to an other one without even considering any other transportation method. Train or boat rides are more environmental friendly means of travel that can sometimes transport you from a set point to an other one in the same time a plane could or even sometimes shorter. Flying merchandises has also become the most popular way of shipment. Rather than boat shipment which can be greatly more convenient for large set of items, most of the world's companies today prefer using planes to save few hours.

On the other hand, limiting this mean of transport to such a narrow point of view without mentioning its numerous advantages could lead to a wrong understanding of the overall topic. As a matter of fact, even though a single trip in a plane might pollute a lot it is necessary to understand that at the level of each individual it is still greatly better than traveling using more common means of travel such as automobiles or scooters. For more professional uses of the plane even though sometimes it could be more harmful for the planet that boat or train transportations most of the time it is not. Shipping merchandises from a continent to an other one through a train might be a tedious task to achieve that is sometimes not even possible. As for boat shipment a similar situation happen with train shipment that could lead to an overall similar pollution damages than flight shipment all of that with worse delays.

To conclude, I think that the best option is to keep using planes but using them in a wiser and more responsible way. With always keeping into consideration other means of travel and shipment that might be sometimes better or more environmental friendly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that advocates for a balanced approach rather than a total cessation of flying. The ideas are relevant, such as the environmental impact of aviation versus the logistical necessity of air freight. However, the development is somewhat uneven; the argument regarding individual travel being 'better' than cars is asserted without sufficient supporting evidence or logical depth. While the position is consistent, the analysis of the 'disadvantages for businesses' is slightly underdeveloped, relying on general claims rather than specific examples. Overall, the response meets the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the environmental concerns from the practical arguments. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'In fact,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand,' though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, although the link between the environmental impact and the economic necessity could be smoother. Referencing is mostly accurate, though some sentences are slightly clunky, which occasionally impacts the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express complex ideas. There is an attempt to use less common items like 'banalized' and 'merchandises,' though these are sometimes used with slight inaccuracies in collocation or register (e.g., 'banalized' is not the standard term for 'made commonplace'). There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'risen of the global warming' instead of 'rise in global warming.' Despite these slips, the meaning is always clear, and the range is sufficient to discuss the topic with some flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex constructions, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Since the last couple decades' (should be 'Over the last'), 'this mean of travel' (should be 'this means of travel'), and 'a similar situation happen' (should be 'happens'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are missing commas in complex sentences. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text, but they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the main points.

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