Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-09
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)
Many people nowadays have decided to stop flying or to limit the amount of times they use this form of transport. This will undoubtedly have great benefits for the environment, but it may mean that for individuals or businesses this can translate to higher expenses. I believe the disadvantages for individuals and businesses would be greater than the effects on the environment.
This essay will discuss advantages and disadvantages of this environmental benefits of reduced air travel would have a direct effect in the amount of pollution in the air, which would mean a greener planet. However, this would also mean a rise in the use of other types of transportation. For example, if the amount of cars, buses or trucks on the road increases this also means greenhouse gas emissions increase too.
On the other hand, for individuals or businesses this could mean higher travelling costs, as well as lengthy trips and possible delays in reaching their destinations. All of this can affect the companies resources and even possibly cause them to lose business deals, or not even commence them due to restricted trading times. Higher costs for companies can cause job cuts which can have devastating effects for families.
In conclusion, I believe the disadvantages on individuals and businesses caused by a reduction in air travel are far greater. The potential implications for companies of higher travel and shipping costs, could reflect losses that can eventuate, in job cuts. The effects on the environment would not be enough to merit such a drastic culture change and possibly pollution levels could rise as a result of the increase on other contaminants.
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 and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that environmental benefits might be offset by increased road traffic, this point is not fully explored with specific evidence or logical depth. Similarly, the impact on businesses is mentioned in general terms (e.g., 'lose business deals'), but could be strengthened with more concrete examples or a more nuanced explanation of why these disadvantages outweigh the environmental gains. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the arguments remain at a surface level, which prevents it from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, there are some issues with sentence-level cohesion. For instance, the second paragraph begins with a fragmented sentence: 'This essay will discuss advantages and disadvantages of this environmental benefits of reduced air travel...'. This creates a jarring transition and makes the opening of the body paragraph difficult to follow. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'undoubtedly', 'greenhouse gas emissions', and 'devastating effects'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'eventuate' is used incorrectly in the context of 'losses that can eventuate, in job cuts', and 'culture change' is slightly imprecise here. Additionally, the phrase 'amount of times' is less natural than 'number of times'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally affect the clarity of your writing. For example, the sentence 'This essay will discuss advantages and disadvantages of this environmental benefits...' contains a subject-verb agreement error and awkward phrasing. There is also a punctuation error in the conclusion: '...could reflect losses that can eventuate, in job cuts.' Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, and the grammar does not significantly impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding unnecessary commas.
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.