Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Many people think that decreasinging the number of annual flights can reduce the detrimental impact on the environment, but I do not think it can help, because the total number of people who decide to refuse from traveling by plane is too insignificant because of the comfort plane provides. Besides that, these people do not want to refuse from traveling in general, thus they will choose other options which can be more dangerous for nature.

First of all, every initiative, to be working, should include many people in it, but not all people are ready to completely abandon traveling by plane for many reasons, the main of those is time they save using a plane. For example, Russia is a very long country, thus traveling across it can take days if a traveler uses plane or bus, but by plane, he can travel across half the country in 4 hours.

Second of all, many people who refuse to fly still travel to their destinations using other means of transport, which can also have a negative impact on the natural environment. For example, a person travelling alone over a long distance may choose to drive a car instead of taking a flight, particularly if there is no convenient railway connection. Although traveling by car may seem like a more environmentally friendly alternative, long journeys require considerable amounts of fuel and can generate substantial carbon emissions. Therefore, reducing the number of flights may simply encourage people to switch to other forms of transport rather than reduce their overall environmental impact.

In conclusion, while the decrease in the total number of flights may actually reduce the detrimental impact on the environment, it require many people being involved which is almost impossible in some countries and destinations. Besides that, even if people refuse to fly, they replace a plane by other means of transport which can cause more pollution and lead to the worse effect.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the environmental impact of reducing air travel. However, the position is somewhat contradictory; the introduction states that reducing flights cannot help, but the conclusion acknowledges that it may reduce environmental impact. The argument that people will simply switch to more polluting alternatives is a relevant point, but it is not fully developed. The essay focuses heavily on the inconvenience of not flying rather than weighing the environmental benefits against the disadvantages for businesses and individuals as requested. To reach a higher band, you should provide a more balanced analysis of the economic or social disadvantages for businesses, rather than focusing primarily on the inconvenience of travel time.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Second of all', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the first paragraph where the connection between the 'insignificant' number of people and the 'comfort' of planes is a bit abrupt. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the link between the paragraphs could be strengthened to create a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'detrimental impact', 'carbon emissions', and 'environmentally friendly'. However, there are some awkward phrasings and word choice errors, such as 'refuse from traveling' (should be 'refrain from traveling') and 'decreasinging' (spelling error). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler structures. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'it require many people' (subject-verb agreement), 'the main of those is' (incorrect phrasing), and 'lead to the worse effect' (incorrect article usage). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly run-on. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate more consistent control over complex grammatical structures and reduce the frequency of basic errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

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