Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

Many people have made up their minds to minimize the number of times they take flight annually or to avoid completely using airplanes in traveling. Though, this comes with a great measure to curtail the risk of environmental decay but I think that the disadvantages that follow are much severe for people and their startups.

Firstly, in a situation where people completely stop making use of airplanes to travel, there will be a drastic reduction in the greenhouse gases expelled into the atmosphere which will lead to the environment being preserved, and saved from rapid deterioration. Moreover, there would also be a minimal release of carbon monoxide into the surrounding which will result in both acquatic, terrestrial and aboreal life being conserved. Fishes and other sea animals have their lifespan prolonged, and have constant supply of food since the ecosystem is in balance due to the low emission of gases into the water that are detrimental to them that are mainly released from planes.

However, there are many disadvantages that come with individuals entirely stopping to take flights or reduce the number of times they do. First, it will make humans not to be relating well with other people from other countries. There would be barriers to building stronger relationship by people from all over the world as a result of them avoiding to make use of planes since it is the fastest means of transportation, and the only way people can get to trace all around the world without hindrances. In addition, people will become limited to their environment, and there will be no opportunity for them to learn about other countries culture and experience their lifestyle. Also, businesses will become static since no international organization or personality is traveling to other nations to establish a business, or promote an enterprise. There will be a drastic pause to how a country’s economy is striving because there is no expatriate coming in to explore the country’s natural resources for advanced development.

In conclusion, though it is a good development for people to reduce the number of times they travel per year via airplanes but to completely stop using the plane will definitely result in more severe consequences than we have imagined. Nobody would accommodate not traveling to explore other areas or countries through the fastest route which is air transportation. Countries will not want to lose important expatriates that are adding values to their economies with the mindset of banning airplanes completely.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The position is clear throughout the essay, stating that the environmental benefits, while positive, are outweighed by the severe disadvantages for people and startups. Ideas are extended and supported, such as discussing greenhouse gases and economic impacts on international travel. However, there is a tendency to overgeneralize slightly, and some arguments regarding human relationships and business stagnation could be more deeply developed with specific examples. Overall, the task is addressed well, aligning closely with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction to environmental benefits, then disadvantages, and a summarizing conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'However'. However, some cohesive phrasing feels slightly mechanical or unnatural, such as 'First, it will make humans not to be relating well', and referencing is occasionally imprecise. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the competing arguments, maintaining an overall coherent flow that meets the Band 6.5 to Band 7 criteria, safely securing a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'curtail', 'deterioration', 'expatriate', and 'detrimental'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher band, such as 'take flight annually' instead of 'fly frequently', 'acquatic, terrestrial and aboreal life', and 'startups' used to describe established businesses. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer attempts various complex structures, such as concessive clauses ('Though, this comes with a great measure...') and conditional sentences ('in a situation where people completely stop making use of airplanes...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'much severe', 'make humans not to be relating well', and 'no international organization or personality is traveling'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the grammatical slips in complex clauses can occasionally cause the reader slight difficulty, placing this performance at Band 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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