Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Many people have decided to decrease the frequency of fly or to stop flying altogether. While reduction of number of flights brings some environmental advantages, I strongly believe that the environmental benefits cannot outweigh the drawbacks for people and enterprises.
On the one hand, decreasing the frequency of flights brings some benefits to the environment. One possible benefit is that reduce the amount of carbon emission. By restricting the number of flights, it is possible to decrease air pollution which is created through excessive use of fossil fuel. As a result, air quality will improve, and people can lead a wealthy life. In addition, severe accident in the space among the airplane will reduce if people decide to reduce the number of times they fly. This is because, as space is free, airplane can move easily, and the possibility of accident in air space will decrease.
Despite these benefits, reducing the numebr of flights has also some drawbacks. To begin with, it reduces the revenue of tourism industry. As there are no convenient schedule available for flight, foreign tourists give less interest to explore different places. As a result, tourist sector will face economic hardship. Furthermore, global business may hamphere due to the reduction of number of times of fly. Some businesses use air space to export products, and also import raw materials from overseas countries. Due to the reduction of flights, some enterprises may face difficulty to continue their business activities.
In conclusion, although decreasing the number of flights brings several benefits to the environment, I firmly believe that it cannot abolish the drawbacks for citizens and businesses.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits. The ideas are relevant, such as the impact on the tourism industry and global trade. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'space among the airplane' is unclear and lacks logical depth. While the position is consistent, the supporting points could be more thoroughly explored to reach a higher band. The response stays on topic throughout, but the explanation of the environmental benefits is quite brief compared to the economic arguments, leading to a slightly unbalanced discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'space among the airplane'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the environmental benefits from the economic drawbacks. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, though the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'carbon emission', 'fossil fuel', and 'economic hardship'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'frequency of fly' (should be 'flying'), 'wealthy life' (likely meant 'healthy life'), and 'global business may hamphere' (spelling error). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
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 that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'reduce the amount' (should be 'reducing'), 'severe accident in the space among the airplane' (awkward syntax), and 'no convenient schedule available' (should be 'schedules'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor errors in article usage and verb forms. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, as the control over grammar is not consistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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