Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04

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 an era of growing climate awareness, many people are choosing to fly less or stop altogether, aiming to reduce environmental harm. While this brings challenges for individuals and businesses, I believe the benefits ultimately outweigh the disadvantages.

There are a number of benefits of the decision to take less flight or shut it all. Firstly, if people stop taking flight, it will ultimately reduce the number of planes and their boardings. This initiative will have a great influence in our climate, as it will curb emissions and protect the air quality. Secondly, the increasing number of fly demands more fuel and other resources. As a result, to fulfill these demands, we are destroying our natural resources. For example, natural gas is an important resource of our environment. However, using this beneficial resource for hazardous purpose, which cause damage to the environment. Finally, the bird habitats are mostly destroyed due to the planes and helicopters. Therefore, limiting number of flight can help them to sustained in the nature instead of being endangered.

Despite the above benefits, there are some drawbacks of the decision of flying less or stop flying altogether. It will cause a great loss for the people and businesses. For instance, a person can travel one country to another for business deals within a few hours. If the fight number will be decreased, they might face a great loss in their business. Moreover, many companies ship their products through planes. They will also face many trouble because of this.

In conclusion, short-term inconveniences for individuals and businesses pale beside the urgency of securing a sustainable future. Choosing environment over our comfort or profit is not just a duty; it is a act of hope for oue future survival.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the reduction of emissions and the impact on business travel. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about bird habitats is mentioned but not fully linked to the core argument about environmental benefits versus business costs. The explanation of how natural gas is used for 'hazardous purpose' is vague and lacks clarity. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, well-reasoned examples and ensure that every point directly supports your central thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'using this beneficial resource for hazardous purpose, which cause damage'. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that sentences flow more naturally into one another would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'sustainable future' and 'urgency', which is positive. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'take less flight', 'shut it all', and 'fly demands'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'oue'. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise terminology related to environmental and business topics to demonstrate a wider and more flexible range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the bird habitats are mostly destroyed due to the planes' (should be 'due to planes') and 'if the fight number will be decreased' (should be 'if the number of flights is decreased'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent verb tense usage and correct prepositional phrases will help improve your accuracy.

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

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