Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

There are various types of transport due to the advancements in the field of technology so it's a personal choice either to choose whichever transport. Airplane is one of the most efficient and loved by the people. Some individuals have decided to reduce the usage of the Airways or stop flying together.

In my opinion, there is more chances of disadvantage for some individuals and businesses than the environmental benefits. As some people will stop using the airways this can affect the revenues earned from the sale of the tickets. For instance-If people will stop travelling then the money which they were going to spend at their destination, then it will not be spent and it can lead to loss of various people, like the money which could be earned by the taxi driver from them or the restraunts where they were going to eat something.

There can be some environmental benefits form the reduction of usage of airways. The less the people will travel less the airplanes will be used and this can lead to reduction in the usage of airplanes which will help to environment to heal. For instance- In the month of february the aircrafts used by a particular company were 100 but after this revolution it declined to 70 aircrafts. So this can be benefitial for upcoming times also.

In contrast, there can be advantages and also the disadvantages of reducing the usage of airways but it is not possible because many of the people uses it for work and businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt but lacks depth in its development. While you state your position that disadvantages outweigh benefits, the arguments are somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation regarding economic loss is repetitive, and the environmental argument lacks a clear link to the broader global context. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples and ensure that the 'environmental benefits' are weighed more critically against the 'disadvantages for individuals and businesses'. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively summarise your main points or provide a final thought on the issue.

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 somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'For instance', 'In contrast'). There are instances where the logical progression between sentences is weak, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between flight reduction and local economic loss is not fully articulated. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the environmental benefits and the final conclusion feels abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'various types of transport' and 'loved by the people'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'stop flying together' (should be 'altogether') and 'help to environment to heal'. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'revenues' and 'airways', the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary related to environmental and economic topics.

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. Examples include 'there is more chances of disadvantage' (subject-verb agreement), 'the less the people will travel less the airplanes will be used' (awkward structure), and 'many of the people uses it' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels repetitive. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex sentence forms and ensure that basic grammatical rules, such as subject-verb agreement and article usage, are applied consistently.

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

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