Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-17

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)

In the modern world, some individuals are choosing to decrease their frequency of travel by air or stop flying completely will be beneficial for environment and this has become common and attracted significant public attention. It has become a topic of widespread debate due to its impact on individuals and society. This essay will discuss both advantages and disadvantages and state my opinion.

Firstly, one of the major advantages is that less carbon emission will occur because airplane produce huge amount of carbon emission in air and this will be impact on environment. In addition, the flight tickets are very high and same amount of price you will travel in premium cabinet in another transport such as train or bus. This will encourage other transport to travel and generate revenue for transport companies. Thus, it will be beneficial for individuals and society in the long term.

On the other hand, one of the major disadvantages is that less international travel will occur and it will be huge loss for some countries, which are depend on tourism such as Thailand, Vietnam etc. In addition , there is another difficulties for businesses for travel and tour guide business. Although, people have fewer opportunities to different culture. Nowadays, some businesses are successful because of they can reach and accomplish their meeting within time because of air travel can save time. Hence, this will impact in the long term.

In my opinion, reducing in number of time in air traveling is beneficial for environment and it will reduce cost and save money but some individual businesses and meetings are depend upon save time so environment will be best for the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about flight costs and alternative transport is not fully explained, and the conclusion is incomplete, trailing off mid-sentence. While a position is stated in the introduction, the lack of a clear, sustained argument throughout the body paragraphs limits the depth of the response. To reach a higher band, you should ensure each point is supported with a clear example or logical explanation and provide a finished, coherent conclusion that synthesises your main arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'In addition' and 'Hence' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition from discussing carbon emissions to flight ticket prices in the second paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the sentence structure breaks down. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will significantly improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'huge amount' and 'beneficial', which are repeated. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'premium cabinet' (likely meaning 'cabin') and 'reducing in number of time in air traveling'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental issues and economics, and focus on using collocations correctly. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetition and express your ideas with greater sophistication.

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 clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'airplane produce'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'because of they can reach'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically checking for subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and conjunctions.

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