Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-23

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 7.5)

There has been a proposal to reduce the amount of time people spend flying each year or even to stop air travel completely. Although reducing the number of flights could have significant environmental benefits, I believe that completely stopping air travel would cause serious social and economic problems.

Reducing the number of flights would certainly have a positive impact on the environment. Airplanes consume large amounts of fuel and produce significant quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Therefore, if people travelled by air less frequently, fuel consumption and emissions would decrease. As a result, air quality could improve and the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere could be reduced. This could contribute to slowing down climate change and reducing global warming. From an environmental perspective, therefore, limiting unnecessary air travel could be a useful measure.

However, completely stopping air travel could have severe economic consequences. International trade has become highly developed, and many companies depend on air transportation to import and export goods and maintain connections with international markets. If flights were completely suspended, businesses that depend on aviation and international trade could suffer major financial losses. This could lead to the closure of companies, unemployment and economic difficulties for many families. In addition, the effects would not be limited to airlines, as many businesses in tourism, transportation, hospitality and international commerce also depend on regular air travel.

There would also be important social consequences. Many immigrants and people who live far away from their families rely on airplanes to visit their relatives. Completely stopping flights could make these visits extremely difficult or impossible, leaving families separated for long periods. This could negatively affect people's emotional well-being and make feelings of loneliness and isolation more common.

In conclusion, reducing unnecessary air travel could provide considerable environmental benefits by lowering fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, completely stopping flights would create serious economic and social problems. Therefore, I believe that a moderate reduction in air travel, rather than a complete ban, would be a more realistic and balanced solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt effectively. You clearly state your position in the introduction, arguing that while environmental benefits exist, a total ban is impractical due to economic and social costs. Each body paragraph provides relevant, well-developed arguments. For instance, you explain the economic impact on international trade and the social impact on families, which directly answers the 'disadvantages' aspect of the question. The conclusion synthesizes your points well and offers a balanced final perspective. To reach a higher band, you could provide a specific, concrete example of a business or industry to further illustrate your point about economic consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Your essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the environmental benefits and the economic/social drawbacks is handled smoothly using the cohesive device 'However'. You use a variety of linking words such as 'Therefore', 'As a result', and 'In addition' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The flow is natural, and the relationship between sentences is consistently clear, which is a hallmark of a high-level response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic essay. Phrases like 'severe economic consequences', 'emotional well-being', and 'realistic and balanced solution' show a good command of collocation. You avoid repetition and use precise terminology related to the topic, such as 'greenhouse gases' and 'international commerce'. While the vocabulary is accurate and sufficient, incorporating a few more sophisticated or less common lexical items (e.g., 'mitigate' instead of 'reduce' or 'detrimental' instead of 'negative') would help elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your control of grammar is strong. You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('If people travelled by air less frequently, fuel consumption... would decrease') and subordinate clauses ('Although reducing the number of flights could have...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is accurate throughout. There is a consistent level of control, and you demonstrate the ability to handle complex ideas without losing grammatical clarity. The writing is fluent and professional, meeting the criteria for a high band in this category.

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