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)

In recent times, flying has become more affordable to everyone, making many people fly often. Now, some people have decided to start reducing the number of times they fly every year or stop flying altogether to reduce the carbon emissions they make. In my opinion, the environmental benefits of this outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. In this essay I will explain the reasons behind my opinion with relevant examples.

Nowadays, there is a lot of pollution happening around the globe and it is increasing every year, travelling by plane is one of the major causes of it. So, if many people start reducing to fly it will help in controlling the carbon emissions. For instance, if a person wants to visit a relative in another state they can drive there instead of flying, likewise people can start reducing unnecessary flights and benefit the environment.

Conversely, people cannot drive everywhere, so flying cannot be avoided completely, and many times flying is cheaper and faster to reach the destination, for example travelling between countries or across long distances where driving would take days instead of hours. Furthermore, avoiding flying altogether will have an impact on many businesses and can make them less efficient, as employees may need to travel for important meetings or deals that cannot be handled remotely, and switching to slower transport could cause delays and lost opportunities.

In conclusion, if a significant number of people and businesses start limiting flying we can see a noticeable difference in carbon emissions. Therefore, in my opinion the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that flying is a major cause of pollution and suggest driving as an alternative, the discussion on the disadvantages for businesses remains quite general. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis regarding the economic impact or the feasibility of alternatives like video conferencing. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In recent times', 'For instance', 'Conversely', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the environmental benefits and the business disadvantages could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure. Overall, the information is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'carbon emissions' and 'efficient'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. Phrases like 'a lot of pollution happening' and 'start reducing to fly' are slightly unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and academic vocabulary to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'reducing to fly' (should be 'reducing the frequency of flights') and 'travelling by plane is one of the major causes of it' (which is a slightly awkward construction). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences or comma splices. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve your score in this criterion.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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