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 high tech era, flying is a very convenient way to migrate from one place to other place at very long distance, which saves time and money. However, minority part of individuals made a decision to minimise the use of airways they used in whole year or stop completely. As per my perspective, demerits for individuals and businesses override the merits to environment and both will be articulated in subsequent paragraphs.
At the outset, there are various cons for individuals and businesses and first and foremost is rapid fall in per capita income of a nation can be seen. To describe it more, a major part of per capita income of a country depends on rich people who owns large businesses in numerous sector. Furthermore, their income is directly proportional to per capita income. For example, in India, Mukesh Ambani holds single sided businesses in India as well as in abroad. If he stops to fly for business meetings it will directly affect the income which reduce the per capita income. Moreover, second drawback is GDP will be affected as tourism plays a key role in GDP of a state and if individuals avoid travelling by aeroplane, tourism industry will face downfall.
In contrast, there are minor pros in terms of environmental benefits and major one is pollution will be less. To be more precise, a high amount of fuel emission is taken place while flying which cause harm to environment and if travelling by airways is reduced then emission of fuel will also be less.
To recapitulate, there are multiple drawbacks such as fall in per capita income and GDP, nonetheless there are few benefits like less pollution that cannot be neglected.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The argument regarding per capita income and GDP is repetitive and lacks depth, as it relies on a single example (Mukesh Ambani) to represent a complex economic phenomenon. The environmental benefits section is also underdeveloped, lacking specific evidence or a more nuanced discussion of the trade-offs. To reach a higher band, you should expand your arguments with more varied examples and ensure that the link between flying and economic indicators is explained more logically rather than just asserted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'To describe it more' or 'As per my perspective'. While there is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion, the transitions between sentences within paragraphs can feel abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words that connect ideas more fluidly rather than relying on simple sequence markers.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'per capita income', 'GDP', and 'emission', but there are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect collocations, such as 'minority part of individuals', 'holds single sided businesses', and 'high amount of fuel emission is taken place'. These errors occasionally make the text sound unnatural. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more sophisticated vocabulary to express complex ideas, rather than relying on basic descriptors.
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 affect the clarity of your writing. Examples include 'In high tech era' (missing article), 'If he stops to fly' (incorrect verb pattern), and 'a high amount of fuel emission is taken place' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your verb tenses are consistent throughout the essay.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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