Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03
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 5.5)
In modern societies, people are considering to reduce the number of times they flies each year, or even thinking to stop it completely. Although this approach is beneficial in reducing the environmental pollution, but it does not outweigh the disadvantages.
On one hand, if individuals reduce or avoid taking flights for personal or business purposes, it will lower the total number of national and international flights, and will be helpful in controlling the air pollution. Furthermore, flights can be replaced with travelling by road, by this way fuel consumption will also get reduced, and aids in preserving the natural resources of fuel energy.
On the other hand, it has numerous disadvantages, as it will greatly affects the productivity of businesses as well as the economy of the country. Firstly, it is very essential for business individuals to visit and attend business meetings in each branch of the company. By reducing the flights, the communication between business partners and customers will be influenced. Consequently, there will be decrease in profit and loss in business. Secondly, reduction in number of flights, ultimately leads to decrease in number of employments, such as cabin-crew members, pilots, and airport staff . Finally, it will also impact economy of the state, as reduced number of flights will result in decrease in revenue generation from the travel agencies.
In conclusion, although lowering number of flights will have positive impact on climate, but it has more drawbacks. I think, it should not be avoided completely, but can be reduced to an extent that would not impact nations' economy, as well as employment rate and financial loss to business individuals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits. The ideas are relevant, covering economic impacts, business productivity, and employment. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'profit and loss' is repetitive and lacks specific examples or deeper analysis. While the position is consistent, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly explored to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and offers a balanced perspective, which helps in maintaining a clear task focus throughout the essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sides of the argument. To improve, you should focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more fluid rather than relying on simple list-like transitions.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'environmental pollution,' 'natural resources,' and 'revenue generation.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'business individuals' (instead of 'business professionals') and 'impact economy' (missing an article). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher band scores. Expanding your range of collocations and using more precise academic terminology would enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('number of times they flies,' 'it will greatly affects') and incorrect preposition usage ('thinking to stop' instead of 'thinking of stopping'). Additionally, there are some punctuation and article errors throughout the text. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of complex sentence structures will help improve your grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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