Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02

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)

In the modern era, people can travel to different places via different travel modes such as railways suitable for long journeys while airplanes are consider as the fastest travel form. Even though, a lot of people have decided to decrease the airplane journeys every year or to halt flying altogether. I think environmental benefits hindrances the other factors.

To commence with, as per environment concern, this decision seems more beneficial effects. Firstly, airplanes and helicopters need a significant amount fossil fuel to run and operate them. It encourages burning of more and more fuel subsequently, increasing carbon emission and lead to air pollution. The generated hazardous gases have not only effect air quality but also people, and fauna. Thus reducing the number of fly decreases the air pollution.

Nevertheless, this trend also has some drawbacks. First and foremost, it increases unemployment ratio. For instance, employees burn out increases because they might not be paid sufficiently. It has negative impact on companies which are associated with flights. Further, at individual level, sometimes people may delay for their vital meetings with foreign clients. As a result, it might become an obstacle of personal career and opportunities. If the number of fly reduces then it will shake national economic because the revenue generated by flight tickets contributes to country's economics.

To recapitulates, I think people should concern about environment but it not outweigh the setbacks for individuals and business. If the figure of times fly decline then it will definitely affects numerous business, family income and career of people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. However, the position is inconsistent. In the introduction, you state that environmental benefits outweigh other factors, but in the conclusion, you state that they do not. This contradiction makes your overall stance unclear. Furthermore, while you provide relevant ideas, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about unemployment is mentioned but not fully explained or supported with a clear logical link to the aviation industry. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout the essay and provide more detailed, logical explanations for each of your main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Firstly', 'Nevertheless', and 'To recapitulates'. However, some of these are used incorrectly or awkwardly, such as 'To recapitulates' (should be 'To recapitulate'). Additionally, the logical flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors, making the progression of ideas feel slightly mechanical. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that supports your main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'environmental benefits hindrances the other factors' and 'number of fly' (should be 'number of flights'). You also use 'shake national economic' instead of 'harm the national economy'. While your meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of collocation errors limit your score. Try to learn common collocations and use more precise terminology related to environmental and economic topics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'airplanes are consider as' (should be 'considered'), 'need a significant amount fossil fuel' (missing 'of'), and 'it will definitely affects' (should be 'affect'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While you attempt complex sentences, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions. Proofreading your work for these common errors would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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