Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Some people have chosen to reduce the number of times they fly each year, while others have decided to stop flying completely. Although this can create some difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that the environmental benefits of reducing air travel outweigh these disadvantages.

One major advantage of flying less is that it can help reduce environmental damage. Airplanes produce a significant amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change. If fewer people travel by air, the demand for flights may decrease, leading to lower emissions. In addition, reducing air travel can encourage people to use more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as trains and buses. For example, travelling by train between nearby cities generally produces fewer emissions than taking a flight.

However, reducing air travel can have disadvantages for both individuals and businesses. For individuals, flying is often the fastest and most convenient way to travel long distances. People may need to fly to visit family members, study abroad, or enjoy holidays in other countries. Businesses can also suffer because international companies depend on flights for meetings, conferences, and developing relationships with customers and partners. For instance, a company that operates in several countries may find it difficult to maintain strong business relationships without regular face-to-face meetings.

Despite these disadvantages, I believe that the environmental benefits are more important in the long term. Individuals can replace some flights with online meetings, trains, or other forms of transport, while businesses can make greater use of video conferencing. People do not necessarily need to stop flying completely; instead, reducing unnecessary flights could make a meaningful contribution to protecting the environment.

In conclusion, although flying less can reduce convenience for individuals and create challenges for businesses, I believe the reduction in carbon emissions and environmental damage makes this development more beneficial overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are well-developed, with distinct paragraphs for the environmental advantages and the individual/business disadvantages. The argument is balanced and logically structured, moving from the benefits to the drawbacks and finally to a synthesis in the conclusion. The response is fully relevant to the topic, and the position is maintained consistently throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the student could include more specific, real-world examples or data to further substantiate the claims made regarding the impact of air travel on business relationships.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth, using cohesive devices like 'However' and 'Despite these disadvantages' effectively. The use of referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task. The flow of information is natural, and the reader is guided through the argument without difficulty. The cohesive devices are used accurately, though they are somewhat standard; incorporating a wider variety of linking phrases could elevate the coherence further.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terminology such as 'carbon dioxide', 'greenhouse gases', 'global warming', and 'video conferencing' accurately. While the range is adequate for a clear and precise argument, it lacks a high degree of sophistication or 'less common' lexical items that would characterize a band 8 or 9. The word choices are generally natural, and there are no significant errors in collocation or spelling that impede communication. The language is functional and precise throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good control of grammar. There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of conditional clauses ('If fewer people travel...') and concessive clauses ('Although this can create...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly. While the grammatical range is solid, the structures are somewhat predictable. To achieve a higher score, the student could experiment with more varied complex sentence patterns, such as inversion or more sophisticated passive constructions, while maintaining the current high level of accuracy.

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

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