Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31

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)

Some people have decided to reduce or completely stop traveling by air for the betterment of the environment. In my opinion it can be a awareness campaign but not a solution to the environmental rehab, however I really appreciate this idea because it is coming from the top businessmen.

Need of the hour is to take actions, not just doing campaigns those have nothing to do with reality. For instance, if a person who have to travel by air every week for his business related trips, this idea is very impractical for those.

In order to improve the environment we cannot take this step, as it not an problem but an convenience that is connecting distanced countries. Economy is key for ay country to exist, and that is dependent on the bilateral relations. Travelling from one part of the world to another has become easier, and it is because of the planes.

For example, before air travelling, people used to travel through ships, and it was quite time taking and dangerous journey. It used to take about 20 to 30 days for traveling from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia. Therefor, air planes are blessing for those who have to travel for various countries for their work purposes.

Another reason is, air traveling is not just a service, but a source of revenue generation for many countries. Like we can take and example of the gulf countries, their economies are dependent on both the natural resources and air travelling business. It is not feasible for these countries to vote in favor of this motion to eradicate the air traveling.

In conclusion, I would rather suggest other solutions should be purposed in order to improve our environment. Some of solutions are to reduce the earth pollution, water pollution first, as they are the main cases of the pollution and even the source of the air pollution in some cases. I hope if we would work honestly to keep our environment clean, there could be other better ways to do that.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the environmental benefits versus the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. However, the position is somewhat inconsistent; while you acknowledge the environmental impact, the argument leans heavily toward the necessity of air travel for economic reasons without fully weighing the environmental benefits against the disadvantages as requested. Some ideas, such as the mention of 'top businessmen' or the specific example of travel between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, are relevant but could be more deeply developed to show a balanced perspective. To improve, ensure you explicitly address both sides of the argument before concluding, and maintain a clear, consistent stance throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the environmental argument and the economic argument is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is present but occasionally mechanical or misused, such as 'Therefor' (spelling error) and 'Like we can take and example'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more logically. Improving the transition between paragraphs will significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'bilateral relations', 'revenue generation', and 'natural resources'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'environmental rehab' (instead of restoration or protection), 'ay country' (typo), and 'purposed' (instead of proposed). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler terms. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing, while ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('a person who have to travel', 'it not an problem'), incorrect article usage, and punctuation errors. While you attempt to use complex sentences, they are often marred by these slips. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect verb forms. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

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