Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24
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 6.0)
For those who are environmentally conscious, choosing other transportation modes or avoiding flying can be one of their efforts to protect the environment and the positive outcomes of this idea certainly outweigh the disadvantages.
Firstly, while it is important to acknowledge that airplanes are not the only leading cause to environmental damages, commuting and traveling with other modes of transport can be a massive effort for people who happen to travel a lot and still want to contribute to the environmental causes. If a dozen of travelers opting to other options every day to commute, it would still reduce level of air omission significantly.
Secondly, a small step for one individual means tremendously to achieve a collective and larger goal. It is in all of our favor as well as our responsibility to help and take care of our environment. Traveling without airplanes may not be as convenient and practical, however, there are many other alternatives that can still get us to our destination while also stopping us from causing more damage to our one and only home, such as by train, bus, even ship or car. Our personal comfort while traveling should not matter more than our responsibility to acknowledge the ever-growing environmental concerns.
Lastly, big aviation corporation will not stop gaining profit from reduced number of flying travelers. Avoiding flying altogether cannot be applied for every one as there are still certain places that can only be reached by planes. Therefore, the disadvantages for businesses do not outweigh the advantages for people who are willing and able to travel without airplanes.
To conclude this essay, while it is not for every individual, the decision of avoiding flying still has more benefits than
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The essay addresses the prompt by discussing the environmental benefits and the impact on individuals and businesses. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding businesses in the third paragraph is underdeveloped and lacks specific examples or depth. The conclusion is incomplete, which impacts the overall task response. While a clear position is maintained throughout, the ideas could be extended further to fully explore the trade-offs mentioned in the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are given equal weight and that the conclusion is fully articulated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'it would still reduce level of air omission'. The incomplete conclusion also disrupts the flow of the final paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows naturally into the next would enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors. For example, 'air omission' is used instead of 'air emissions', and 'big aviation corporation' should be pluralized. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'environmentally conscious' and 'collective goal', the range is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding word-choice errors that occasionally distract from the message.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'If a dozen of travelers opting to other options' (should be 'If a dozen travelers opted') and 'big aviation corporation will not stop gaining profit' (should be 'corporations'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the incomplete final sentence prevents a full assessment of complex structure control. The majority of the sentences are understandable, but frequent minor errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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