Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly in each year or to stop flying altogether .although this decision my create some difficulties for individuals and businessman , I believe that the environmental benefits of reducing air travel outweigh these disadvantages .

in my opinion , if people travel less by taking flights then it will decease air trafficking . along with it will benefit environment in several ways . one major benefit of reducing air travel is its positive impact on environment . air planes produce considerable amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse ages that effect the environment purity and cause global warming .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 110 words. This significantly impacts the development of the argument. While you state a clear position, the response is severely underdeveloped. You mention environmental benefits but fail to address the 'disadvantages for individuals and businesses' as required by the prompt. Because the essay is less than half the required length, it is impossible to fully address all parts of the task or provide sufficient supporting evidence. To improve, you must expand your ideas into full paragraphs with specific examples and ensure all aspects of the prompt are covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is too short to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical progression of ideas. While there is a basic attempt at an introduction and a body paragraph, the lack of development makes it difficult to assess your ability to manage cohesion. You use basic connectors like 'along with it' and 'one major benefit', but the overall structure is fragmented. To achieve a higher score, you need to organize your ideas into clear, distinct paragraphs with a logical flow, using a wider range of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'carbon dioxide' and 'greenhouse gases' (though 'ages' was a typo), but the overall range is limited. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'air trafficking' instead of 'air traffic' and 'environment purity'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations. Avoid repetitive phrasing and try to incorporate less common lexical items that are appropriate for a formal essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent errors that affect clarity. For example, 'this decision my create' (spelling), 'businessman' (should be plural), and 'effect the environment purity' (should be 'affect'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces before periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high relative to the short length of the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct word forms, and proofreading for basic spelling and punctuation errors.

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

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