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
| 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 student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, ultimately forming a clear position in the conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant, citing examples such as carbon footprints, flight durations, and the impact on the tourism sector in Jaipur. However, some arguments lack full extension. For instance, the discussion on alternative travel methods and remote communication could have been elaborated further to fully support the thesis. The overall response adequately covers the core task requirements, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure containing an introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides, and a conclusion. Transitional phrases such as On the one hand, On the other hand, and In conclusion are employed to guide the reader through the argumentation. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally mechanical or slightly faulty, such as the dangling final sentence in the third paragraph ending in a fragment ('Eventhough these problems are not significant and could be solved with appropriate alternate travel methods.'). Paragraphing is used appropriately, resulting in a consistent Band 6.5 level.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as carbon footprint, international terminal, and socially isolated. There are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'decreases the global warming phenomenon' rather than 'mitigates global warming', and 'tourism industry in jaipur grew 10 folds'. Spelling errors are present with 'New york city' lacking capitalisation on 'york'. Despite these minor lexical inaccuracies and slips, communication remains clear throughout, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, notably the incomplete sentence fragment at the end of the third paragraph starting with 'Eventhough', and minor capitalization issues. However, the majority of simple sentences are accurate, and the grammatical errors rarely impede communication or cause confusion for the reader. These features fit comfortably into the Band 6 descriptor criteria for grammatical range and accuracy.
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