Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-26

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)

In contemporary world, flying from one place to another place has increased significantly as compared to past years. Although this development may involve certain benefits, I strongly believe that its disadvantages are considerably higher than its advantages. This essay will examine both benefits and drawbacks in the following paragraphs.

There are myriad disadvantages of the restriction on the foreign travel. One of the most chief drawbacks of this is that it does not only make negative impact on tourism industry but also it has an adverse influence on country economic growth. This is mainly because people are get less chances to visit other nations, which can lead to alleviate the number of tourist. Therefore, it directly impact on tourism sector of country. Moreover, many nations depend on this industry for their state economic growth. A prime example of this is Dubai, where government more rely on tourism. Consequently, it can lead to economic crisis such as local tourism.

Another significant demerit of this is that many member of aviation sector works in this sector. Since authorities censored on flying, many workers who works in this field losses their jobs. For instance, many crew staff who works in airline sector are danger their jobs. Furthermore, many businesses suffer from financial loses due to this stop flying altogether.

Despite these drawbacks, there are several advantages are associated with reducing the number of times individuals fly every year. One main benefit is that it can conserve the natural resources, especially fuel since large amount of fuel require in airplane. Nevertheless, this advantage is minor as compared to disadvantages.

In conclusion, although it can reduce the fuel consumption, i strongly believe that its drawbacks far outweigh its merits. not only does it

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the economic/social disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While the economic impact on tourism and the aviation sector is mentioned, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth. The conclusion is incomplete, which prevents a clear final summary of the position. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a fully developed argument with a clear link back to the prompt's core question regarding whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The essay ends abruptly, which negatively impacts the overall task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, phrases like 'One of the most chief drawbacks' and 'Another significant demerit' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between the environmental benefits and the conclusion is disrupted by the incomplete final sentence. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would help create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'alleviate the number of tourist' (instead of 'reduce') and 'government more rely on tourism' (instead of 'rely more on'). The student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'aviation sector' and 'natural resources', but the overall control is limited. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('many member... works'), incorrect verb forms ('people are get less chances'), and missing articles. Punctuation is generally functional, but the incomplete final sentence is a significant error. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense usage would be beneficial.

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

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