Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-29

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 6.5)

Nowadays, an increasing number of people have started to limit the number of times they fly each year and some have even decided to stop altogether. This is due to a variety of reasons and there is a wide argument on whether this development is really advantageous or not.

First and foremost, there is no doubt that the world experiences a lot of plane crashes every year in which a huge number of people die or go through severe injuries. This is because of several factors, such as, technical glitches, weather disruptions, etc. In addition to that, plane crashes not only affect the lives of people, but they also harm the environment and the habitat of the region where they crash. Moreover, they might even hurt other people. For instance, in the year 2024, a plane crashed into a medical college, and a lot of students lost their lives because of this incident. Furthermore, limiting aircraft travel will subsequently improve the environment conditions and people will be able to live in a healthier place.

On the other side of the argument, some people say that stopping to choose airplanes as a way to commute is a highly unpractical solution. Also, just because we see a few plane crashes does not mean that we should stop travelling by them altogether. What's more, planes are a very comfortable and easy way of travelling. If the public stops to travel by planes, then they will waste a lot of time on travelling and it will be extremely difficult to travel long distances. Furthermore, this development will damage the aircraft industry and they will suffer from huge losses due to which people will have to pay even more tax. Not to mention, planes cause way less pollution then other modes of commutation such as trains.

Conclusively, it can be said that even though there can be a few disadvantages of travelling by planes, but there is no argument that they make people's lives easier. Therefore, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt but suffers from a significant misunderstanding of the task. The prompt asks about the environmental benefits of reducing air travel versus the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. However, you focused almost exclusively on 'plane crashes' and safety, which is not the core environmental issue (carbon emissions). Because you misinterpreted the environmental aspect as a safety concern, the development of your ideas is largely irrelevant to the actual question. To improve, ensure you carefully analyze the prompt's focus—in this case, climate change and environmental impact—rather than focusing on aviation safety.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'First and foremost', 'In addition to that', and 'Conclusively' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the safety argument and the environmental argument is weak. The logical flow is hampered by the fact that the arguments themselves do not directly address the prompt's premise. Improving the logical connection between your topic sentences and the actual environmental impact of flying would strengthen the coherence of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'technical glitches', 'disruptions', and 'unpractical'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'commutation' (which usually refers to the act of commuting, not the mode of transport) and 'stopping to choose' (which should be 'stopping choosing' or 'choosing to stop'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Try to focus on using more academic collocations and ensuring words are used in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'planes cause way less pollution then' (should be 'than') and 'if the public stops to travel' (should be 'stops traveling'). Additionally, there are some issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not usually impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on verb patterns (e.g., 'stop' + gerund vs. infinitive) and ensure you proofread for common comparative errors like 'then' versus 'than'.

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