Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-05
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 this fast paced world, where environmental pollution is on its peak due to exceeding population, an increasing number of people have decided to minimize the number of flights they took every year. I believe that the advantages of this choice outweigh the disadvantages because when the number of flights reduced, ultimately the environmental pollution also reduced. Another advantage is that, it protects and saves the natural resources such as fuel.
A significant benefit of cancelling flights by business people is that they provide space for other needy individuals who travel for studies and work visas. So, as the number of passengers reduced, only specific persons travel due to which environmental pollution is eradicated to a large extent. Also, the lists of waiting become shorter due to extra space in flights and people reach their destination earlier than before. Furthermore, it results in minimizing the use of natural fuel and reduce the risk of accidents. For instance, a plane crashes in India few months ago and many families lost their precious members.
On the other hand, the drawbacks of this step are people do not reach on their business meetings physically which I think is replaced by online meetings. Another disadvantage is that, the number of tourist decreased due to which economy of various countries is badly affected.
By concluding, I reach a logical statement that environmental protection is more essential and the main duty of every individual.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt but fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you present a clear position, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding 'waiting lists' and 'needy individuals' is not logically sound in the context of commercial aviation. Furthermore, the example of a plane crash in India is not directly relevant to the environmental benefits of reducing flights. To improve, ensure you fully develop your arguments with more logical reasoning and reach the required length to allow for a more comprehensive exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'On the other hand', the transitions between sentences are occasionally mechanical or confusing. For instance, the link between reducing flights and the 'waiting lists' for passengers is not clearly explained. Paragraphing is present, but the concluding paragraph is very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points or restate the position in a sophisticated way. Strengthening the logical flow between sentences would improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some basic phrases like 'fast paced world' and 'badly affected', which are common. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'environmental pollution is on its peak' (should be 'at its peak') and 'lists of waiting' (should be 'waiting lists'). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science and aviation, and focus on using more precise collocations to express your ideas more naturally.
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 clarity. Examples include 'when the number of flights reduced' (should be 'are reduced'), 'a plane crashes in India few months ago' (should be 'crashed' and 'a few'), and 'the number of tourist decreased' (should be 'tourists'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are areas that need significant attention. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic tense and pluralization errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.