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)

This essay will analyze the reasons why I belive that this choice has some remarkable benefits on the enviroment which outweigh the possible disadvantages for individuals and businesses.

It is widely belived the idea that small changes in our habits have an insignificant impact on the environment and on climate change.

According to this idea, choices made by small group of people are, usually, more harmful for economy than useful for the environment. Effectively, a reduction of flights means a reduction of commerce across the planet and, consequently, a reduction of earnings for a lot o businesses. Moreover a considerable number of people highlight that airplane's emissions are just a part of the problem and there are ways of trasportation with a stronger impact on the environment.

However, it can be argued that there are different examples of small individual choices who led to progress and reductions of our impact on the environment. An example could be the recycling of wastes, made by single individuals but with a substancial effect on the collectivity.

Furthermore, if it is true that airplane's emission are not the only cause of enviroment's pollution, it is equally correct to affirm that this is one of the ways of transportains with the greates emissions per tonne. In addition to that, it is crucial to remeber that disadvantages are necessary in critical situations like this one and there is not an easy way to resolve the environmental problem without reducing trades.

In conclusion, I belive that disadvantages for individual and businesses are real but a secondary problem compared to a climate emergency that could lead the humankind toward critical environmental conditions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the economic disadvantages of reducing air travel. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the economic impact is brief, and the comparison between air travel and other forms of transport could be more deeply explored with specific examples. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more detailed reasoning or concrete evidence to demonstrate a more sophisticated understanding of the trade-offs involved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition to that' to link your ideas. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'choices... who led to progress', where the relative pronoun 'who' is incorrectly used for inanimate objects. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words will help the flow of the essay feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'climate emergency', 'collectivity', and 'insignificant impact'. However, there are several spelling errors ('belive', 'enviroment', 'trasportation', 'remeber', 'transportains') and some awkward collocations ('greates emissions per tonne'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider command of word forms. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic collocations would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('the environment', 'a reduction'), incorrect preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement issues ('airplane's emission are'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication. To improve, focus on mastering the use of articles and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy. Consistent practice with sentence variety and careful editing will help reduce the frequency of these minor slips.

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

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