Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-01

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 5.0)

Some people decided to minimise flying solo and in group yearly to help the environment. In my perspective, there are advantages to it but it does not outweigh the negative impacts.

First of all, tourist helps the country's economic growth. If we reduce the number of flying every year, it will greatly affect the businesses, and the people- most especially, the small businesses. We use planes to import and export goods from other countries and if we minimise

Second of all, it can also affect our mental health. Nowadays, people tend to travel a lot and mostly because it is their only escape from work and it can prevent burn out.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the required 250-word minimum, which severely limits your ability to develop your ideas. While you state a position, the arguments regarding economic growth and mental health are underdeveloped and lack supporting evidence or examples. The essay is incomplete, as the second paragraph ends abruptly mid-sentence. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you address all parts of the prompt, including the environmental benefits, which were largely ignored. You need to provide a balanced discussion that fully explores both the advantages and disadvantages to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is too short to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical flow of ideas. While you use basic transition signals like 'First of all' and 'Second of all', the lack of a proper introduction, conclusion, and fully developed body paragraphs makes the overall structure weak. The abrupt ending of the second paragraph further disrupts the coherence of the text. To improve, focus on writing a clear introduction, at least two well-developed body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a concluding summary. Ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single main idea and that your sentences are linked logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, such as 'minimise' and 'affect'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'tourist' (should be 'tourism') and 'flying solo and in group' (which is unnatural phrasing). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas about environmental or economic issues. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to the environment and aviation, and work on using more precise collocations. For example, instead of 'help the environment', consider using 'mitigate environmental degradation' or 'reduce one's carbon footprint'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There are noticeable errors, such as 'tourist helps' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the number of flying' (incorrect noun phrase usage). The incomplete sentence at the end also impacts the grammatical integrity of the piece. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures before attempting more complex ones. Ensure you check for subject-verb agreement and correct word forms. Practicing the use of relative clauses and conditional sentences will help you demonstrate a wider range of structures.

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

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