Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
Few individuals have decided to decrease the frequency of their air travel or to stop it completely. In my opinion, this development has both positive and negative aspects. While it provides environmental benefits, reduces global warming, it also brings significant drawbacks, making it both a positive and a negative development.
On the one hand, reducing frequency of flights can be seen as a positive development as it lowers the carbon emission, which subsequently, decreases the global warming phenomenon. For example, a flight from Jaipur to New york city, including connections, takes upto 14 hours. Additionally, we can make new inventions in alternate travel methods. Using online methods such as video calling people can also save their energy, time and cost. For instance, a one-on-one call through skype would save 14 hours of travel and reduce an individuals carbon footprint.
On the other hand, there are some disadvantages for individuals and businesses as well. Primarily, it isolates a person socially and could impact his personal and professional interaction with others. The reduction in air travel can also impact the tourism industry negatively. For example, tourism industry in jaipur grew 10 folds after the inauguration of the international terminal in the airport. Secondly, important work meetings in the company that require the presence of an individual could also be affected due to this. Eventhough these problems are not significant and can be solved with appropriate alternate travel methods.
In conclusion, the problems discussed above can be easily solved and are easily outweighed by the long term environmental benefits. I firmly believe that reducing air travel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The position is stated early on and maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat superficial in places. For example, the mention of online video calling is introduced as an alternative, but it is not fully extended into a deeper explanation regarding how it effectively replaces commercial travel. Furthermore, the final paragraph cuts off abruptly mid-sentence, leaving the conclusion incomplete. Despite this truncation, the writer successfully presents relevant arguments regarding tourism, social isolation, and emissions, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing used to separate distinct arguments. The writer employs standard cohesive devices and transition signals such as On the one hand, For example, and Secondly to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing and logical progression are occasionally flawed. For instance, the transition between discussing the growth of tourism in Jaipur and the impact on company work meetings feels somewhat disjointed. Additionally, because the essay ends abruptly without a finished concluding sentence, the overall structural cohesion is weakened at the very end. These features place the response securely at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as carbon footprint, global warming, and tourism industry. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by awkward word choices or minor collocation errors, such as 'reducing frequency of flights' (missing an article) and 'grew 10 folds' (should be 'tenfold'). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. The lexical control displayed is consistent with the criteria for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'While it provides environmental benefits... it also brings significant drawbacks.' However, there are notable grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Examples include missing articles ('from Jaipur to New york city'), capitalization errors ('New york', 'skype'), and a sentence fragment/run-on issue in the final paragraph starting with 'Eventhough these problems...'. Although these errors occur, they rarely impede communication, allowing the response to achieve a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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