Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-27

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)

Every year many people decides to minimize their travel by air or fly with one another.

Reducing travel by plane has many environmental benefits. When people travel less by air the less number of flight will take off, which will reduce the air pollution caused by the burning of fuel in the air. It will also minimize the demand of fuel in the market and reduce demand of fuel in the market.

Every development in something in society has positive as well negative approach, traveling less by flying also have disadvantages for businesses and individually.

When people will reduce travelling by flight it will burden the local transport system, because people will use buses and cars to travel which will also increase the demand of fuel and more noise and air pollution will raise in the environment.

Furthermore, due to higher petroleum demand its prices will boost and fare will also increase which can cause inflation in the community.

More ever, due to high inflation individuals of lower class will suffer financially.

Due to less number of travels by air, it will also destroy the job market and other businesses associated with aviation. The reduced number of travel by plane will affect the catering business which provide food to travelers in air and it will result in unemployment for individuals.

In conclusion, reduced travel by flying has benefits as well negative results which will effect the society economically and environmentally. Avoiding travel by air will not reduce environmental pollution more significantly but will add more due to more use of local transport of the city. It will boost local businesses but will also cause trouble to aviation business.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the argument regarding the 'burden on local transport' is a valid point, but the explanation lacks depth and relies on generalizations. The position is clear, but the analysis of the trade-off between environmental gains and economic losses could be more nuanced. To improve, ensure that each point is supported by a clear example or a more detailed explanation of the causal link between the action and the consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'Furthermore' and 'In conclusion' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the environmental benefits and the economic disadvantages is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are repetitive, such as the mention of 'demand of fuel in the market' twice in the same paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would enhance the coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'fly with one another' (which is unclear) and 'every development in something in society'. The student relies on basic vocabulary and repeats terms like 'demand', 'travel', and 'business' frequently. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to use more precise collocations and a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental impact and economic consequences, rather than repeating the same simple terms throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'many people decides' and 'less number of flight will take off'. There are also errors in article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in the air' (when referring to the aviation industry) and 'individuals of lower class'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and pluralization would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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