Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Few of the citizens have made a decision to decrease the amount of times they travel through air or stop using airplanes as their mode of transport ultimately. The truth is inevitable that the advantages for the nature due to this trend far outweigh the drawbacks for small businesses and certain people.

On the one hand, less usage of air transportation can be really beneficial to the environment. the major issue related to flying is air pollution. As air pollution increases people will suffer finding quality air for breathing. It also results in the depletion of ozone layer around the earth which protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. These rays are so powerful that in the worst case scenario could lead to a person's death. Therefore, not only does the reduction in the number of times people fly every year promote the quality of air, but also ensures that less amount of greenhouse gases is released into the atmosphere

On the other hand, restricting air travel creates notable challenges. For the public, flying is often the most efficient and sometimes only way to visit family who are across the world, study international education, or experience different cultures. Reducing flights can lead to the feeling of isolation or inconvenience. For businesses, air travel remains important for face-to-face negotiations, expanding their markets, and managing global supply chains. Furthermore, industries heavily reliant on air travel, such as international tourism, risk financial losses and cuts in their jobs if flight demand declines significantly.

In conclusion, although people face many problems once flying gets reduced like having financial loss or the feeling of isolation, the benefits of this case are far more important for the survival or man kind.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. The environmental impact is discussed in terms of air pollution and the ozone layer, while the disadvantages cover personal inconvenience and business/economic impacts. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific examples or data to support the arguments, such as mentioning the specific impact of aviation on global carbon emissions or citing a particular industry sector that has successfully adapted to virtual meetings.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the transition between the environmental benefits and the personal/business drawbacks could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly mechanical. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'greenhouse gases', 'depletion of ozone layer', and 'global supply chains'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'Few of the citizens' (which sounds unnatural in this context) and 'survival or man kind' (a typo for 'mankind'). While the range is adequate, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band, as some phrasing remains somewhat simplistic or repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are several errors in articles and prepositions, such as 'the major issue' (should be 'a major issue') and 'less amount of greenhouse gases' (should be 'a smaller amount'). Punctuation is generally correct, though there are occasional slips. The sentence structures are functional, but the variety is somewhat limited. The errors present do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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