Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-28

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)

Environmental concerns have prompted some people to cut down on their number of flights or give-up flying altogether.

While this development does serve the purpose of environment conservation to an extent. However, I believe that this isn't a very positive step as it can have repercussions on global economy and individuals.

Business reports globally indicate that the aviation industry is already stretched for funds and many experts term it as a non viable business proposition. Many airlines world over have suffered losses and closed operations as they weren't even able to break even. This has let to retrenchment and a lot of professionals were left unemployed. For instance, the closure of Deccan airlines, MLDR, Kingfisher and the recently shut down Jet airways in India is an example of airlines facing serious operational challenges. More and more airlines have tapered down from being a full-service airline to a low-cost airline model. Yet, there are pressing issues like soaring prices of aviation fuel, air space closures in conflict zones, etc. All these factors combined push the already surging air ticket prices even higher and make it quite difficult for the common man to afford air travel.

Environment remains an area of major concern and innovative steps must be taken to preserve it. However, cutting down on air travel and foregoing it completely will bring the already struggling aviation industry on the brink of bankruptcy. Aviation experts report that the majority of aviation fuel is lost as the aircrafts await permissions to land at designated runways and the circling approach burns majority of the fuel. Infrastructure upgrades like additional runways, better coordination and optimal air traffic management would rather serve the cause of environment better. Additionally, lesser weight of baggage should be permitted onboard the aircrafts which would save a lot of aviation turbine fuel. Also

To conclude, while environment is a pressing concern globally, putting the entire burden on aviation industry alone is unjustified. There are quite a few other areas like waste recycling, polluting vehicles, electrical appliances emitting gases etc. which require equal attention and better management. One needs to adopt a holistic approach to safeguard the environment rather than singling out a specific industry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the disadvantages of reducing air travel outweigh the environmental benefits. Your ideas are relevant, particularly the focus on economic repercussions and the suggestion of operational improvements as an alternative to reducing flights. However, the development of your argument is slightly uneven; while the economic impact is well-supported with specific examples of airlines, the environmental section is somewhat repetitive. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a balanced exploration of the prompt's requirements, and avoid trailing off at the end of paragraphs, as seen in the incomplete sentence at the end of the third paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Additionally', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader. However, there are some issues with sentence-level cohesion. For instance, the second paragraph begins with 'While this development does serve the purpose... However, I believe...', which is a sentence fragment and grammatically awkward. Furthermore, the transition between the discussion of airline losses and the suggestion of infrastructure upgrades could be smoother. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, though the final paragraph is a bit brief.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'non-viable business proposition', 'retrenchment', 'holistic approach', and 'aviation turbine fuel'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'tapered down' instead of 'downsized' or 'scaled back', and 'let to' instead of 'led to'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your argument. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that technical terms are used in the correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you show an ability to construct complex arguments, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. For example, the sentence 'While this development does serve the purpose of environment conservation to an extent. However, I believe...' is a major punctuation error where a dependent clause is punctuated as a complete sentence. There are also minor errors such as 'aircrafts' (the plural of aircraft is aircraft) and 'aviation industry on the brink' (missing the article 'the'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.