Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17
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)
In many countries, there has been a growing trend to reduce or do not travel by air at all. This view has some benefits like air pollution could be controlled. While some argue that reducing the number of flying will directly affect the economy. This essay will discus both advantages and disadvantages before explaining why I maintain that benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages.
This paragraph explain the advantages of reducing number of flights. Firstly travelling by air contributes mostly in air pollution. Aeroplanes or helicopters consume lot of petrol which emits huge carbon in the environment. As a result, gradually temperature rises. Secondly individuals who prefer to travel by road is a budget friendly development. For instance, businesses conduct meetings in different cities in every month, may not afford transportation expenses of flights. Therefore, considering public buses or trains for personal and professional travel is a positive development both for environment and also for individuals and employers.
On the other hand, there are some supportive arguments in against of this point. One of the major drawbacks is that the governments could face economic difficulties. Flying is mostly a choice of elite class of the society. Governments charge high taxes to boost their economy which is not have much effect on rich class members. So that reducing numbers of flying means overall economy suffers. However, this issue will be solved by making proper strategies.
In conclusion, ignoring by air transportation is a positive development as it provides environmental benefits as well provides a cost-effective travel experience for people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, presenting a clear position throughout. The introduction outlines the writer's stance that environmental benefits outweigh disadvantages. In the body paragraphs, ideas are presented and supported with reasons, such as aeroplanes consuming petrol which emits carbon and causes temperature rises, and budget-friendly alternatives like public transport. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed or contain sweeping generalizations, such as the claim that 'flying is mostly a choice of elite class of the society.' Despite these minor limitations, the main prompt requirements are satisfactorily covered, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor where all parts are addressed and relevant ideas are provided, though some are underdeveloped.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is generally coherent with an identifiable overall arrangement. Paragraphing is utilized, with distinct introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, though paragraph functions are awkwardly announced at times, as seen with 'This paragraph explain the advantages...' Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, utilizing words such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as 'arguments in against of this point' and 'ignoring by air transportation', which detracts from the fluidity of the progression. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for a Band 6, showing a coherent overall arrangement despite some mechanical cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating central ideas related to environmental pollution, economy, and transportation. Attempts at less common vocabulary include phrases like 'air pollution could be controlled', 'budget-friendly development', and 'transportation expenses'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'reduce or do not travel', 'number of flying' instead of 'flights', 'contributes mostly in' instead of 'to', and 'in against of' instead of 'against'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical inadequacies and awkward phrasing limit the score to Band 5.5, as the errors occasionally cause slight difficulty or appear repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-like structures, such as 'businesses conduct meetings in different cities in every month, may not afford...'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and sentence construction, including 'reduce or do not travel', 'emits huge carbon in the environment', 'individuals who prefer to travel by road is', and 'which is not have much effect'. Punctuation and subject-verb agreement issues also appear. While communication is not entirely impeded, the high frequency of grammatical slips places this response firmly at Band 5.0, where attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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