Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-25
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)
If people decided to stop flying or limit the number of times flown every year, then new disadvantages and also benefits regarding the ecosystem will emerge. Personally, I believe that the benefits for our environment will outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses.
On the one hand, restricting air travel presents significant drawbacks for both personal and commercial operations. For individuals, reduced flying restricts global mobility, making it harder to visit family abroad, pursue overseas education, or experience international tourism. The alternative modes of transport, such as trains or ferries, are often significantly slower and impractical for cross-continental travel. From a business perspective, multinational companies rely heavily on face-to-face meetings to build client trust and negotiate major deals. Limiting business flights can slow down international expansion and reduce trade efficiency. Furthermore, sectors such as commercial aviation, hospitality, and global tourism could face revenue declines and potential job losses as demand drops.
On the other hand, the environmental benefits of reducing air travel are significant and crucial for the planet's future. Aviation is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions, directly contributing to air pollution and rapid climate change. By cutting back on flights, carbon emissions would drop rapidly, helping to slow global warming and protect dying and weak ecosystems from extreme weather events. While businesses and individuals might face temporary inconvenience, alternative solutions exist, such as using video conferencing for meetings or choosing local travel over international trips. Ultimately, protecting the atmosphere provides longterm advantages that far outweigh the short term drawbacks to personal convenience and corporate profits.
In conclusion, although limiting air travel undoubtedly causes inconvenience for individual travellers and economic challenges for global businesses, I firmly believe that the environmental advantages are far more critical. Safeguarding the global climate and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are essential for long-term survival, making atmospheric protection significantly more important than short-term commercial and personal interests.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it consistently throughout the essay. The arguments regarding both the disadvantages for individuals and businesses and the environmental benefits are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of video conferencing as an alternative to business travel. The ideas are extended logically, providing a balanced view before concluding that the environmental benefits are more critical. The response is focused and directly answers the question asked.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the disadvantages and the environmental benefits is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct points. The use of linking words such as 'Furthermore', 'While', and 'Ultimately' helps to guide the reader through your argument without being repetitive or mechanical. The structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic task. Phrases like 'global mobility', 'trade efficiency', 'commercial aviation', and 'atmospheric protection' show a strong command of topic-specific language. There is an attempt to use less common items, and the word choice is generally precise. While the vocabulary is effective and natural, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band, but it is certainly sufficient for a high score. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The essay displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences and conditional forms. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and syntax is strong. You use a variety of sentence lengths and structures, which keeps the writing engaging. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The use of modals and passive voice is accurate and contributes to the formal tone required for an academic essay. Your control over grammar is consistent throughout the text.
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