Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11

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)

It is often argued that some people reduce their flying time every year or they have stopped flying for the environmental benefits. I strongly believe that by adopting this behaviour they are protecting the environment which can lead to a healthy society.

To begin with, individuals who prefer reducing the number of flights have many benefits. One of the most significant is by having less flights there would be less consumption of fuel. Additionally, it will be a positive impact on the environment. By consuming less fuel the air quality will be improved spreading less diseases. Furthermore, as a society it is the duty of every individual to protect and save the environment. Consequently, it will help to create a healthy environment with particularly few diseases.

On the other hand, people who argue against this believes that doing this will impact their business growth which is somehow acceptable but in this fast-paced world, technology has made many advancements. Any individual can communicate with others by sitting miles away from them on their mobile phones or laptops. In addition to this there are certain platforms where you can do business deals and also present your plans online without being available in person. When your business deals and plans are confirmed at that moment you can visit the particular country to set up your work area.

To sum up, I believe that the benefits for the environment definitely outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. Moreover, a person should take the advantage of the technology and play a crucial role in saving the environment.

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. The ideas are relevant, such as fuel consumption and the role of technology in business. However, the development is somewhat limited; the discussion on business disadvantages is brief and could have been more thoroughly explored with more specific examples. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting arguments remain at a general level, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed explanations or concrete examples to demonstrate a deeper level of critical thinking.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' to link your points. However, some of the transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For instance, the use of 'this' to refer back to previous ideas could be more varied. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a band 6.5 or 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'consumption of fuel', 'fast-paced world', and 'business deals'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'spreading less diseases' or 'take the advantage of the technology'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a more flexible and precise command of the language.

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 that occur throughout the text. For example, 'people who argue against this believes' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'by having less flights' (should be 'fewer'). There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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