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)

A relatively new trend has emerged where individuals are choosing to restrict their annual flight frequency. The questions of whether the environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses has become a central point of discussion.

Environmental benefits of limiting the number of times of taking flights are there. First of all, flying is the most expensive mode of transportation, so limiting the frequency of taking it will save individual's expenses choosing affordable yet comfortable mode of transportation like trains, boats, buses etc. And the fact is also true that the emission of green house gases and carbon footprint will be reduced. However, the severe drawbacks associated with this trend make it difficult to focus solely on it environmental perks.

Though flying is the most expensive way of transportation, it undoubtedly saves time. People reach from one end of the earth to the other end within a very short period of time by taking flights.

Individuals may face crisis situation, where they need to go to places urgently- it can be a patient where he needs to go to a different state or country for an urgent surgery needed, it can be a paperwork where an individual have to show up immediately without wasting much time or may be a business need which require some urgent face-to-face meeting or other collaborations. In these cases, individuals have to take flights to reach their destination early.

Some business meetings or client meetings will miss to have face-to-face meetings. Though technology has been updated to have virtual conversation, but we can't ignore a traditional process where businesses or individuals need a physical meeting before signing contract. Domestic and international trade loss may take place significantly.

In conclusion, while limiting air travel undeniably offers significant environmental benefits, I firmly believe that the severe disruption to international business and personal connectivity represents a far greater disadvantage that cannot be ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits. The ideas are relevant, particularly the discussion on urgent travel and business connectivity. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The first body paragraph attempts to discuss environmental benefits but confuses the argument by introducing the cost of travel, which is not directly related to the environmental impact. The second and third body paragraphs are more focused, but the explanation of business impacts could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph focuses strictly on the specific aspect of the prompt being addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'First of all', 'However', and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the environmental benefits and the drawbacks in the first paragraph is slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'frequency', 'collaboration', and 'connectivity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'crisis situation' instead of 'crisis situations' and 'miss to have' instead of 'miss out on'. The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band level.

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 frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('a business need which require' instead of 'requires') and awkward phrasing ('it can be a patient where he needs to go'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some errors in sentence construction that occasionally impede the flow. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would be required to achieve a higher score.

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