Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18
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)
A few individuals have agreed to minimize the number of times they fly every year or to prevent flying together. Do you think the environmental advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages for peoples and companies. I strongly agree the statement because i believe that flying can effect the environmental benefits.
On the one hand, individuals have to travel because of their businesses which is located in different country. The easiest and earliest means of transport is air transport which can help them to do the work at earliest. For instance, I need to travel to my company for the promotion and i have to save my time as well so, i would consider air transport. Furthermore certain people have to travel because of employment opportunities in other countries.
On the other hand, reducing air travel can provide significant benefits. If we minimize our reducing time we can benefits the environment by lower consumption of gas emission as aircraft produce large amount of greenhouse gas emission. Lower demand of flights can encourage governments and the airlines to invest in sustainable forms of transportation and fuels. For example, for saving the gas emission we can use domestic transports such as trains because the use low amount of fuels.
In conclusion, individuals and businessman's should reduce traveling by air. A reduction in flights can help lower green house emission and encourage government and airline for other developments, making it a worthwhile change for society
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt but fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you present a clear position, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the discussion on business travel is brief and lacks depth regarding the specific disadvantages for companies. The environmental benefits are mentioned, but the explanation of how reduced air travel leads to these benefits is slightly repetitive and lacks technical precision. To improve, ensure you expand on your arguments with more detailed examples and ensure you meet the minimum length requirement to fully develop your points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas is weak, such as the transition into the conclusion. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall progression of ideas could be more sophisticated. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing and repeat certain words, such as 'travel' and 'environment'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'prevent flying together' (which is unclear) and 'minimize our reducing time'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary and collocations, such as 'carbon footprint' instead of 'gas emission' or 'mitigate' instead of 'lower'.
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. For example, 'flying can effect the environmental benefits' (should be 'affect'), 'businessman's' (should be 'businesspeople'), and 'the use low amount of fuels' (should be 'they use a low amount of fuel'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and proofreading for basic grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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