Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-04
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)
The maximum amount of fossil fuel used by transportation has degraded environmental quality. Among them, aeroplanes consume the majority of fuels. Due to environmental concerns, people have reduced the number of times they fly every year or stopped flying altogether. While this trend is beneficial to some extent, I would argue that its disadvantages for individuals and business are more significant.
Air transportation is considered to be the safest means of transportation. Various data illustrate that the number of casualties is lower for air transport in comparison with other means. Although it is significantly detrimental to the environment due to the excessive emission of smoke, it allows people to travel safely and in quick times for their personal and business purposes. The majority of aviation businesses will be severely affected by this trend. The minimum use of aviation will make everything expensive. For example, transportation of mustard seeds from Nepal to the USA requires just 2 days via airplane but will take a couple of months by water ship. So, this will ultimately cause inflation. Furthermore, airplanes have revolutionized the lifestyle of people, especially in landlocked countries, where there is no access to the ocean.
Like this, reducing the number of times of flight will hamper studies of the majority of students and professors. Professors travel every day from one state to another state for their lectures. Airplanes have become an inevitable part of our lives, and we can maximize our productivity by their maximum use.
In conclusion, reducing the number off times of flight will make environment less polluted to some extent but it will make life too miserable in food, study and other business sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the disadvantages of reducing air travel outweigh the environmental benefits. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the argument regarding economic impact and the necessity of air travel for landlocked countries is relevant, the points are not fully extended. For instance, the example of mustard seeds is a good start but lacks depth in explaining how this specifically impacts global inflation. The conclusion is a bit simplistic, merely restating the prompt rather than synthesising the arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation and a stronger link back to the core argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is a logical flow from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the phrase 'Like this,' to start a new paragraph, which is not a standard transition. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. The essay would benefit from a wider variety of linking words and phrases to improve the overall flow and coherence between ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'inevitable' and 'revolutionized,' which are used correctly. However, there are also instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'in quick times' instead of 'quickly' or 'in a timely manner,' and 'make life too miserable' which is a bit informal for an academic essay. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but more precise and varied word choices would elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the maximum amount of fossil fuel used by transportation' is slightly awkward, and 'reducing the number off times of flight' contains a spelling error and redundant phrasing. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition usage would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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