Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-14

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)

With the increasing number of flights, the risk of pollution has also been increased which poses the threat to the environment. So, the reduction of flights every year can help improving the conditions of increasing pollution. On the other hand, airlines companies and travel agents have to face lose in their businesses. Both the pros and cons for the same i shall discuss in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, reduction in number of flights has a plethora of advantages. Firstly, the commercial planes, helicopters and private jets use the fuel which is non-renewable source of energy which pollutes the air in a great extent. Consequently, which is very harmful for the all the living creatures on the earth as it causes various health issues. Increase in air pollutions also affect the flying creatures as they are unable to survive in the air because of the air they released. The reduction in number of flights is very essential for survival at the blue planet.

Further, the planes release harmful gases which not only pollute the air but also destroy the nature. When these gases are mixed with clouds it causes acid rain. The acid rain is very harmful for the human beings, animals, birds and as well as plants. Acid rainwater contains number of gases and chemicals which can cause serious health issues, for instance, skin burns and even cancer. It can destroy the wildlife, especially those who do not have shelters to protect themselves.

On the other hand, the reduction in flights had an adverse effect on airlines companies and travel agents as it leads to reduction in their sales of tickets and other tourist packages. The employees working their also have to face serious consequences. Moreover, it also leads to reduction in business trips which sometimes results in cancellation of deals between two companies working globally.

To conclude, the reduction in number of flights is beneficial for both living beings as well as the ecosystem. We should avoid visiting by flights unless the situation is unavoidable. Other modes of transport can be chosen rather than taking flights.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both environmental benefits and the disadvantages for businesses and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the discussion on acid rain is quite lengthy but does not directly link back to the core argument about flight reduction as effectively as it could. The position is clear, but the arguments could be more nuanced to reach a higher band. The conclusion provides a summary, but it introduces a new suggestion ('other modes of transport') that was not previously explored in the body paragraphs, which slightly weakens the overall coherence of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'Further,' and 'On the other hand,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Both the pros and cons for the same i shall discuss.' Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Consequently, which is very harmful,' where the relative pronoun does not clearly refer back to a specific noun phrase. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'reduction,' 'harmful,' and 'flights.' While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'non-renewable source of energy,' 'ecosystem'), there are instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'face lose' (should be 'face losses') and 'the blue planet' (which is slightly informal or imprecise in this context). The range is sufficient to convey meaning but does not demonstrate a high level of flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'help improving' (should be 'help improve'), 'pollutes the air in a great extent' (should be 'to a great extent'), and 'the employees working their' (should be 'there'). There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'the all the living creatures' and 'the reduction in flights had an adverse effect' (should be 'has'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

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