Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10

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 6.0)

In recent years, several individuals have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether. Although this view has certain drawbacks, I strongly believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses.

One major advantage of reducing air travel is reduction of carbon emissions. This is because airplane produce significant amount of carbon dioxide, when they burn aircraft fuel. For example, if fewer people fly, fewer flights will operate and less carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere. AS a result, avoiding flights will help lower air pollution and the impact to climate changes. Another benefit is lower fuel consumption. Airplane requires a huge amount of fuel to operate, so if people reduce the number of flights they take each year, overall fuel consumption will decrease.

However, there are certain drawbacks to consider. A significant disadvantage is longer travel time. Aircraft is considered to be the fastest mode of transportation. For instance, if an individual need to travel for urgent meeting in another state or country then traveling by another modes of transportation such as rail or roads will usually takes longer hours to reach their destination. This also creates difficulties for businesses whose employees frequently travel to other countries for deals, meetings or conferences. Therefore, longer journey may result in lost in working hours.

In conclusion, reducing the number of times they fly each year or avoiding flights altogether has a drawback such as longer travel time, it benefits in terms of lower carbon emissions and less fuel consumption are more significant. Therefore, I believe that environmental advantages of avoiding flights clearly outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, focusing on carbon emissions and fuel consumption versus travel time and business efficiency. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the discussion on business impacts could be extended with more specific examples or a deeper analysis of the economic consequences. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting arguments remain at a general level, which prevents the response from reaching the higher band descriptors. To improve, ensure that each point is fully explored with more nuanced reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as environmental benefits or the drawbacks of travel time. Cohesive devices like 'One major advantage,' 'However,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the transition between ideas within paragraphs can occasionally feel mechanical. For example, the link between fuel consumption and the previous point about carbon emissions could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally clear, though the overall flow could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'carbon emissions,' 'aircraft fuel,' and 'mode of transportation.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'impact to climate changes' (should be 'impact on climate change') and 'lost in working hours' (should be 'loss of working hours'). To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider range of less common lexical items and demonstrate more precise control over collocations.

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 frequent grammatical errors that slightly impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'airplane produce' (should be 'airplanes produce') and 'Airplane requires' (should be 'Airplanes require'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'traveling by another modes' (should be 'another mode' or 'other modes'). While these errors do not prevent understanding, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Increasing the variety of complex structures while improving accuracy is recommended.

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

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