Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-21

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)

The debate about whether people, especially business travellers, should fly less to protect the environment has been quite controversial. In my opinion the environment benefits of this decision outweigh the disadvantages in my cause of problem.

When it comes to protecting the environment there are three major benefits of flying less. Firstly, use of fossil fuel would be significantly reduced. Airplans rely on heavily on jet fuel, which is not environmentally friendly. By reducing air travel, the demand of planes and fuel will also decline. Secondly, fewer flights may lead to a decrease in air related incidents such as bird strike, which occur when birds collide with aircraft. With fewer flight wildlife faces less disruption. Finally, air travel produces large amount of waste and emissions. Aircraft not only consume a large amount of energy but also generate waste that is often difficult to manage. Much of this waste end up landfills, contributing to soil and environment pollution.

Critics, particularly those in business sector, agree argue that cutting back on air travel could hurt economic growth. They also claim that there is no direct link between fewer flight and significant environmental improvements. However, it today world, environment fraction protection must be to b priority, even if it challenges traditional business practices.

In conclusion while reducing air travel may bring some inconvenience especially for business people the positive impact on the environment is more important.

This change can help lower fuel use reduce wildlife hazards and cut down on waste, all of which contribute to a more sustainable future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for business. Your position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'bird strikes' is a minor environmental issue compared to the broader topic of carbon emissions, and the discussion on economic disadvantages is quite brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more fully extended with deeper analysis rather than listing points. Overall, the response is relevant and clearly focused on the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Finally', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some cohesive devices are used mechanically, and there are occasional issues with referencing and flow, such as the awkward phrasing 'in my cause of problem' in the introduction. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, which helps the overall structure. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between sentences feels more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'sustainable future', 'economic growth', and 'disruption'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'air related incidents' instead of 'aviation-related incidents' and 'environment fraction protection' which is unclear. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'Airplans' and 'agree argue'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise, academic collocations would significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('in business sector'), subject-verb agreement issues ('Much of this waste end up'), and awkward phrasing ('it today world'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding comma usage. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often marred by these slips. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically articles, pluralization, and verb forms, as these errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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