Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-06

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)

In the past few years, people are inclined towards reducing the number of flights to some extent or fully stop air traveling. Although, this trend comes with some difficulties but I believe that its positive effects on environment would definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

One of the major benefits of lower number of flights will help in reducing air pollution. The aeroplanes consume large amount of fuels, particularly for longer journeys. These aircrafts release gases that can cause global warming which eventually result in climate change. If people stop traveling by air and use alternative means of transport like trains, buses or cars, then demand of air travel would be lower leading towards lower emissions. For example, people can choose cars and buses to travel within country which will reduce the number of domestic flights and thereby, contribute positively to the atmosphere.

However, the reduced number of air travel would have adverse effect on individuals and businesses. Individuals who want to meet their relatives or wish to spend their holidays in another country would affected by it. On the other hand, many businessmen have to travel to another country to make deals or agreements and, sometimes to grow their business internationally. Nevertheless, some of these activities can be carried out through digital platforms like online meetings and video conferencing. It will reduce the necessity of going on business trips.

In conclusion, although the reduce number of flights will put some individuals and businesses in hard situation but, I believe that it will impose positive impacts on environment by reducing the emission of harmful gases and, digital advancement can contribute to this positive initiative.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

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 mention of global warming and the role of digital technology in mitigating business travel needs. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on the impact on businesses is brief and could have been expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis of the economic consequences. While the position is consistent throughout, the essay would benefit from more thorough exploration of the 'disadvantages' side to achieve a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in sentence linking, such as the phrasing 'Although, this trend comes with some difficulties but...' which contains a redundant conjunction. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the structure supports the argument effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'digital advancement' and 'mitigate' (implied context). However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'put some individuals and businesses in hard situation' (should be 'difficult situations') and 'lower number of flights' (should be 'a reduction in the number of flights'). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the environment' vs 'environment'), pluralization ('aircrafts' is incorrect; 'aircraft' is the plural), and verb forms ('would affected by it' should be 'would be affected'). There are also punctuation issues, such as the unnecessary comma after 'Although' in the first paragraph. These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice constructions.

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.