Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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 contemporary societies, it has been seen that there is a reduction in the number of flights annually, individuals have decided to reduce flying or stop completely. In my opinion, the environmental advantages outweighs the disadvantages because it helps to conserve natural resources and improve the environment. However, there might be a loss to airline businesses. These point will be explained in the following paragraphs with relevant example followed by a logical conclusion.

To begin with, lots of harmful gases are released into the atmosphere when airplanes fly, these gases pollutes the air and increase the chances of airborne diseases and pollution. However, when less planes fly, there are little amount of toxic gases released to the atmosphere thereby conserving the clean air.

Furthermore, there can be destruction to the natural environment like bringing down of trees, cutting of bushes and damages to wide life in order to construct airports. For instance, during the construction of Epe international airport in Lagos state Nigeria, a large number of neighboring houses and forests were destroyed. This can result in extinction of endangered species. However, people deciding not to fly entirely can also result in a loss to airline businesses as little or no revenue will be available to fund such operations.

In conclusion, the environmental advantages of reduction in flights or not flying altogether supersedes the disadvantages as natural resources will be conserved and the environment improved, however, losses might be incurred to businesses especially airline business. Therefore, a balance between protecting the environment and ensuring smooth running of businesses should be ensure by the community and the government at large.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the impact on airline businesses, the discussion remains superficial. For example, you state that 'little or no revenue will be available' without exploring the broader economic implications, such as job losses or the impact on global trade. To reach a higher band, you should extend your arguments with more detailed analysis or nuanced examples. The structure is logical, but the depth of the content needs to be increased to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the phrase 'These point will be explained,' which should be pluralized. The flow between sentences is generally smooth, but the essay would benefit from a wider variety of cohesive markers to improve the overall sophistication of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary societies,' 'conserve,' and 'endangered species.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, you use 'little amount of toxic gases' (should be 'small amount') and 'wide life' (should be 'wildlife'). Additionally, the phrase 'bringing down of trees' is somewhat informal. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, you need to incorporate more precise and academic collocations to move into the higher band range.

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 subject-verb agreement issues ('gases pollutes,' 'advantages outweighs,' 'these point') and punctuation errors, including comma splices. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that you use commas correctly to separate independent clauses. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher band score.

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.