Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Individuals have decided to completely stop flying or decrease the number of flights they do yearly. From my perspective, it has significant ecological benefits as it reduces carbon emission and global warming , on contrary to its disadvantages for business and individuals which can face delayed trading and isolation from far away loved ones.

Aviation is the one of the most carbon intensive human activity. It significantly surges global warming. Planes releases water vapors, nitrous oxide and creates contrails in high altitude which traps additional heat. For instance, it is reported that avoiding just one long-haul return flight is equals to not using gasoline powered car for an year or carpooling for two years. Moreover, People can also use ground transportation which reduces the noise and make their journey more fulfilling and joyful as it allows to see the changing landscapes progressively. When consumers collectively stop flying it ultimately incentivizes government and transportation to invest and subsidize speed rail systems.

The significant disadvantages might be faced by global companies are the delayed trade which can effect the economy. Additionally, people travelling from far off places during emergencies have to wait long enough to reach their desired destinations. Journeys that take few hours by plane may take weeks or days limiting the destinations you can visit during standard vacations window. Long rail travels to distant places also charge more and are often unsubsidized by government making it costly.

Nevertheless to conclude I would say ,the perks of giving up flying outweighs the challenges in terms of environmental sustainability, population health and wellbeing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the comparison between flight avoidance and car usage. However, the development of the disadvantages could be more nuanced; for example, the claim that rail travel is 'often unsubsidized' is a generalization that could be better supported or qualified. Overall, the argument is consistent and the position is maintained throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'Additionally', and 'Nevertheless', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with paragraph structure, such as the conclusion being very brief and lacking a summary of the main points. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the link between the two body paragraphs could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'carbon intensive', 'contrails', and 'incentivizes'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'on contrary to' (should be 'in contrast to') and 'effect the economy' (should be 'affect'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, these occasional errors prevent a higher score. Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring precise usage would improve your performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Aviation is the one of the most carbon intensive human activity' (should be 'one of the most... activities'), 'Planes releases' (subject-verb agreement), and 'is equals to' (should be 'is equal to'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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.