Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

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)

It is widely argued that an increasing number of people are choosing to reduce the number of times they fly each year or avoid air travel altogether. Although this may cause some disadvantages for individuals and businesses, I believe that the environmental benefits of reducing air travel are greater than these drawbacks.

On the one hand, the advantages of flying less outweigh the disadvantages of flying more. The main advantage is the environmental benefits if people avoid frequent flights or avoid flying altogether; it will greatly help to save the enormous loss of fresh air. Airplanes consume large amounts of fuel, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Moreover, reducing air travel can significantly reduce emissions, therefore less air pollution and fewer greenhouse gases.

On the other hand, reducing air travel can create some disadvantages for companies, especially for the marketing department, because marketing individual need to travel to meet their client to close deals and conduct negotiations. For example, an international company needs to send their employee to meet overseas clients and finalize agreements. Although travel can cause some drawbacks, it is important to meet their long-distanced partner. Aircraft make life easier for people who live away from their families.

In conclusion, less number of aircrafts definitely help to improve the environmental activities that are harmful to human beings as well as animals. However, it will cause losses to some companies and long-distance partners. Instead of reducing flights, governments should find another alternative for this.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the environmental arguments are clear, the discussion regarding the disadvantages for businesses is relatively brief and lacks depth. The conclusion introduces a new idea—suggesting governments find alternatives—which is not supported by the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with specific examples or logical consequences. The overall position is consistent, but the depth of analysis could be improved to better satisfy the requirements for a fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' are used to signal the structure of the argument. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas is slightly abrupt, such as the transition from business travel to family visits in the second body paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more cohesive reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific language like 'carbon dioxide,' 'global warming,' and 'greenhouse gases.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'save the enormous loss of fresh air' and 'less number of aircrafts.' The word choice is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. Improving collocation and using more sophisticated synonyms would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'marketing individual need' (should be 'marketing individuals need'), 'long-distanced partner' (should be 'long-distance partners'), and 'less number of aircrafts' (should be 'a smaller number of aircraft'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of quantifiers and pluralization.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.