Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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)
Some people have decided to reduce the number of flights or to stop taking flights entirely. In my opinion, there are more environmental advantages of this development rather than it's impacts on individuals and buissnesses. Air pollution can be minimized by reduction of flights.
On the one hand, there are multiple advantages of reduced number of flights because aircrafts use fuel which release harmul gases into the air.these gases not only effect airways of human beings but also impact birds flying in the air.it also lead to the carbon emissions which results into global warming or climate changes. carbon emissions also have detrimental effects on human health.as human health is our priority, so we can minimize these effects by reducing number of flights or taking flights entirely.for example, by reducing daily number of flights in Rawalpindi airport, targeted reduction in carbon emission is achieved.
on the other hand, there are also few disadvantages of reducng number of flights because it will reduce income and will become more expensive as few people will opt for flying.by choosing another mean of transportation such as car or bike will be least comfortable and will take more time.There are more risks of accidents in travelling by car.for example, travelling from rawalpindi to hunza take 1 hour by flight wheras it takes 24 hours by bus.
In conclusion, few people opted to reduce number of flights or stop flying entirely.In my opinion , there are more environmental benefits of this step as compared to it's impacts on individuals because it reduces air pollution.As health is our priority than reduction in air pollution is necessity.
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 all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention carbon emissions and health, the explanation remains superficial. The counter-argument regarding businesses and individuals is also brief. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed examples or logical chains of reasoning. For instance, when discussing the economic impact on businesses, you could elaborate on the tourism industry or global trade rather than just mentioning 'income'. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, restating points already made without adding depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are issues with punctuation that affect cohesion. For example, sentences often start with lowercase letters (e.g., 'these gases', 'it also lead'), and there is a lack of variety in linking words. Improving the use of transition signals and ensuring consistent paragraph structure would significantly enhance the logical progression of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'carbon emissions', 'detrimental effects', and 'global warming'. However, there are several word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'buissnesses' instead of 'businesses', 'harmul' instead of 'harmful', and 'wheras' instead of 'whereas'. Additionally, the repetition of simple phrases like 'number of flights' limits your score. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'aircrafts use fuel which release', 'it also lead') and article usage. Punctuation is a significant issue, with many sentences lacking proper capitalization at the start and missing spaces after periods. These errors, while not completely impeding communication, occur throughout the text and demonstrate a lack of control over complex grammatical forms. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for punctuation would lead to immediate improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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