Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-16

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 5.0)

In recent years, some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether. We will discuss both views and their advantages and disadvantages. While it has some disadvantages, I believe its advantages will outweigh its disadvantages.

One of the main benefits of this is that it will reduce carbon emissions in the environment. Every year, a lot of flights fly around the world and need to burn huge amounts of fuel. As a result, our sustainable development will see some reduction. If some individuals reduce their flight numbers, it will provide at least a few benefits. In this matter, a small step can make a huge difference. For instance, if a businessman goes overseas just once a month, the journey needs to emit some carbon into the atmosphere.

There are some disadvantages to flying several times in a year. One of the major demerits is that it increases the cost of the business because, in this developed world, humans can connect and communicate through smart devices. It does not need to fly or meet in person. For example, if a businessman fly several times in a year, he needs to increase his business budget. Consequently, it rises the price of the service to that particular compan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, containing only 215 words. This severely limits the depth of the response. Furthermore, the introduction uses a rigid template phrase ("We will discuss both views") which is inappropriate for an opinion essay, as this prompt asks whether environmental benefits outweigh disadvantages rather than discussing two distinct views equally. While the student attempts to address the prompt by mentioning carbon emissions and business costs, the arguments are truncated and incomplete, and the essay trails off abruptly at the end ("price of the service to that particular compan..."). Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a score in the lower band range.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay has some basic organisation, utilizing paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, environmental benefits, and business disadvantages. However, overall progression is hindered by the incomplete conclusion. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly deployed, such as "In this matter, a small step can make a huge difference," which feels disconnected from the surrounding sentences. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the lack of a proper concluding paragraph weakens the structural coherence of the piece as a whole. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph breaks off mid-sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate to convey simple ideas. The student attempts some less common terms like "sustainable development" and "carbon emissions," but also demonstrates frequent word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as "reduce their flight numbers" instead of "reduce the frequency of flights" and "it rises the price" instead of "it raises the price." There are also awkward phrasings like "demerits" used in an unnatural context. Vocabulary limitations restrict the precision of the argument, placing the response firmly in the Band 5 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a limited range of grammatical structures. While there are some correct simple and complex sentences, such as "While it has some disadvantages, I believe its advantages will outweigh its disadvantages," many attempts at complex structures contain errors. For instance, the phrase "It does not need to fly or meet in person" has a subject-verb agreement and voice issue since people, not the pronoun 'it', are flying. There are errors with verb forms and tenses, such as "if a businessman fly several times," and the unfinished sentence at the end of the text. Frequent errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader.

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

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