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 limiting air travel is highly beneficial and a positive approach for individuals and businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction and concludes by reaffirming that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive in places. For instance, the discussion on alternate travel methods like video calling touches on valid points regarding time and carbon footprint, but the supporting examples remain somewhat general. The body paragraphs would benefit from deeper extension of ideas to fully meet the higher band descriptors. Nevertheless, the task is answered satisfactorily, earning a solid band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear overall arrangement with appropriate paragraphing, dividing the introduction, body paragraphs for pros and cons, and the conclusion logically. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, using transitions such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical. For instance, the final sentence of the third paragraph ('Eventhough these problems are not significant...') is a sentence fragment starting with a dependent clause, which disrupts the flow and logical connection between ideas. Overall, the organization is clear and progression is maintained, leading to a band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'carbon footprint', 'isolation socially', and 'international terminal'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'reducing frequency of flights' (missing an article), 'decreases the global warming phenomenon', and 'tourism industry in jaipur grew 10 folds' (should be 'tenfold'). Spelling errors also occur, such as 'New york city' (capitalization issue) and 'Eventhough' (written as one word). Because the vocabulary attempts to be varied but contains frequent minor slips, a band 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures. There are, however, several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text. Examples include missing articles ('reducing frequency of flights'), preposition issues ('calls through skype'), and a punctuation/syntax error with a sentence fragment ('Eventhough these problems are not significant and can be solved with appropriate alternate travel methods.'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede overall communication, allowing the reader to follow the argument without severe confusion. This corresponds to a band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.