Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13

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 6.5)

Globally, there has been an increasing demand for air travel over the last three decades. Despite this upward trend, some travellers are thinking about minimizing the rate at which they fly to their destinations or abandon the use of planes completely. This idea could impact the environment positively, however, it will affect the individuals more.

First and foremost, it is a fact that the aviation industry is a major contributer of greenhouse gas which causes global warming. The excessive use of jet fuel and other lubricants to power the planes are harmful to the environment. As a result, when passengers fly less, then there is the likelihood of having fewer planes flying around, which is good for the environment.

However, in as much as planes are contributing to air pollution, people prioritizing other modes of transport over air, are more inclined to spend extra hours to reach their destinations. For instance, instead of flying from Ghana to the United States for just six hours, using a ship for the same purpose will take days or weeks to arrive. Hence, the individual is not beg neconomical with his time.

Furthermore, Businesses will also suffer tremendiously in profit loss. This is because, there are some businesses and other supply chains that rely heavily on air transport to facilitate their goods and services. So a reduction in flight use could impact them negatively. For example, Several delivery companies like DHL, make use of air cargo to deliver parcels and packages to people worldwide within the shortest possible time. Meaning, parcels that could otherwise take just a day to be delivered from Spain to Dubai via cargo planes, will now take more days to arrive if shipped, hence affecting their profit margin

In conclusion, the initiative is laudable, giving the need for a collective resposibility towards combating climate change. But individuals and companies are likely to suffer more negatively in terms of arrival delays and lower profits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits are outweighed by the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the comparison between air travel and shipping times, and the impact on logistics companies like DHL. However, the development of the environmental benefits is somewhat brief compared to the discussion of the disadvantages. To reach a higher band, the environmental argument could be expanded with more specific details or a more nuanced exploration of the trade-offs involved.

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, and cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the referencing is mostly accurate, though the flow between the environmental impact and the economic consequences could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is sufficient for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'laudable', 'facilitate', and 'economical'. There are, however, some spelling errors ('contributer', 'tremendiously', 'resposibility') and minor word choice issues ('beg neconomical' instead of 'being uneconomical'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The student demonstrates a good grasp of topic-specific vocabulary related to travel and business, which is a strength.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'In as much as planes are contributing to air pollution, people prioritizing other modes of transport... are more inclined to spend extra hours'. There are occasional grammatical errors, such as 'Businesses will also suffer' (unnecessary capitalization) and 'giving the need' (should be 'given the need'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some comma splices and minor errors. The majority of sentences are clear and error-free, supporting a solid band 6.5 performance.

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