Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-12

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)

Nowadays, an increasing number of people are choosing to reduce the frequency of their air travel or even stop flying. Although this decision can create some difficulties for individuals and businesses. I believe that the environmental benefits outweigh these disadvantages.

One main reason, that avoid taking air can help in protection of environment. As it emits the carbon emission which creates global warming and climate change. If fewer people will decrease the use of air it will helpful for the environment. As a alternative people can travel with buses, trains and cars for shorter distance as it will also help in less expenditure of money.

However, there are some disadvantages to it. Like if the people are having business meeting and distance is long then will need to take a flight. If some one's family and friend is living abroad they want to meet them then they will need to take flight. If some famous personality is suffering from health problem then he will need to take air ambulance. There are so many problems where it is mandatory to fly.

Nevertheless, this disadvantages can be solve by using modern technology. For instance, business can use online video conferencing to do meeting. Then the long weekend should plan that the less flight will be used by the tourists.

In conclusion, reducing air travel can affect the business relations and particularly tourism industry. However, I believe that long-term environmental benefit are more significant and therefore the advantages of flying will be less outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on business meetings and tourism is brief and lacks depth. While the main points are relevant, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly explained to reach a higher band. The conclusion is slightly confused in its phrasing ('advantages of flying will be less outweigh the disadvantages'), which slightly undermines the clarity of the final position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'Nevertheless', and 'For instance', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'If fewer people will decrease the use of air it will helpful'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved to create a more natural progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'take a flight' and 'take air'. Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'expenditure of money' instead of 'cost' or 'expenses'. While the meaning is clear throughout, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations that would demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'One main reason, that avoid taking air can help in protection of environment' (fragment/syntax error) and 'this disadvantages can be solve' (subject-verb agreement and passive voice error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar—such as article usage and verb forms—prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The sentence structures are often repetitive.

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