Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-28

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 6.0)

In recent years, an increasing number of people have chosen fewer air flights or to stop flying altogether because of environmental concerns. Although this decision may have some difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that the environmental benefits of reducing air travel outweigh the disadvantages.

First of all, the main disadvantage of flying less is the inconvenience it causes for the individuals. Air travel is often the fastest and most practical way to visit distant countries, particularly for people who are living abroad. If people fly less, using buses, ships, or trains instead may take longer than usual. For instance, someone who is traveling from Canada to India would find it very extremely difficult and time-consuming to make such a journey without an airplane. In addition, businesses that depend on international travel may experience difficulties meeting overseas clients to attend the international conferences.

However, reducing air travel can provide significant benefits. An airplane consumes a large amount of fuel to fly and produce greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, if fewer people fly, the demand for flights and associated carbon emissions could decrease. This would contribute to efforts to tackle climate change and air quality. Furthermore, travelling less encourages people to use other forms of transport, such as trains and electric vehicles, whenever these alternatives are available.

to conclude that reducing air travel can make problems for individuals and for those businesses that are dependent on overseas travel. Nevertheless, I believe these disadvantages outweigh the long-term environmental benefits, especially the reduction of carbon emissions and encouragement of a more sustainable method of transportation and communication.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding the inconvenience to individuals and businesses are relevant, as are the points on environmental benefits. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the impact on businesses could be expanded with more specific examples beyond just 'attending conferences'. The conclusion contains a significant error where you state the disadvantages outweigh the benefits, which contradicts your introduction and the body of your essay. This inconsistency weakens the overall task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'In addition', and 'However' to guide the reader. However, the transition between the body paragraphs and the conclusion is problematic. The final paragraph starts with a grammatical error ('to conclude that...') and then presents a contradictory summary of your position. While the overall progression is generally clear, the mechanical nature of some transitions and the confusion in the final summary prevent a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'greenhouse gas emissions', 'sustainable', and 'practical'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'make problems' instead of 'cause problems' or 'create difficulties'. You also use 'very extremely' which is redundant and stylistically weak. While you successfully communicate your ideas, the vocabulary lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands, and there is some reliance on basic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'chosen fewer air flights' (should be 'chosen to take fewer flights'), 'produce greenhouse gas' (should be 'produces'), and the sentence fragment 'to conclude that reducing air travel...'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of these grammatical slips means that while communication is not impeded, the control is not consistent enough for a higher band.

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

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