Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-31
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 8.5)
Recently, a growing number of individuals have chosen to reduce their annual flight frequency or stop flying altogether. In my opinion, the environmental benefits of this trend far outweigh the disadvantages for both individuals and businesses. While cutting down on air travel may restrict personal leisure tourism, the rapid rise of remote work and digital business platforms ensures that economic and professional activities can thrive without physical travel.
On the one hand, restricting air travel challenges commerce and personal life. For individuals, it limits cultural exploration and makes visiting overseas family highly time-consuming. For businesses, less physical travel hinders international relations, as corporate deals often rely on face-to-face interactions to build trust. For example, manufacturing companies must sometimes send engineers across borders to troubleshoot equipment physically. Therefore, stopping flights can isolate communities and slow international commercial growth
On the other hand, the environmental benefits are profound, and technology successfully mitigates the downsides. Aviation heavily contributes to global carbon emissions; thus, flying less directly slashes carbon footprints. Furthermore, digital infrastructure ensures businesses thrive without travel. Video conferencing and cloud software allow companies to seal global deals instantly. For instance, many tech giants now use virtual conferences, saving travel budgets while lowering emissions. Online jobs also let individuals work globally without commuting.
In conclusion, while reducing flights creates logistical hurdles for leisure and business, the environmental urgency far outweighs these inconveniences. Thanks to digital communication tools, individuals and corporations can remain highly productive and connected without relying on aviation. Ultimately, flying less is a vital step toward a sustainable future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 8.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.5 |
| Overall | 8.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position from the introduction and maintaining it throughout. Your arguments regarding the environmental benefits versus the disadvantages for individuals and businesses are well-developed. You successfully balanced the discussion by acknowledging the logistical hurdles of reduced air travel while providing a strong counter-argument centered on digital transformation. The ideas are extended with relevant examples, such as the mention of manufacturing engineers and tech giants using virtual conferences, which demonstrates a good grasp of the topic. The response is cohesive and directly answers the question posed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the disadvantages and the environmental benefits is smooth. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each section serving a distinct purpose in the overall structure. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is natural throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 8.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic task. Phrases like 'logistical hurdles', 'mitigates the downsides', 'slash carbon footprints', and 'international commercial growth' show a level of sophistication and precision. The word choice is generally accurate and fits the context well. There are no significant errors in collocation or spelling that impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate slightly more idiomatic or less common academic collocations, but the current range is sufficient to convey your ideas with clarity and style.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5
Your writing displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of conditional-like logic and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'While cutting down on air travel may restrict...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is excellent. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively to maintain interest and clarity. There are no noticeable grammatical errors that cause confusion or strain the reader. The accuracy is high, and the grammatical structures support the development of your arguments well.
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