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 the frequency of flights can be seen as a positive development as it lowers carbon emission, which subsequently, decreases the global warming phenomenon. For example, a flight from Jaipur to New York city, including connections, takes up to 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 individual's 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 or her personal and professional interaction with others. The reduction in air travel can also impact the tourism industry negatively. For example, the tourism industry in Jaipur grew tenfolds 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. Even though 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 student addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. A clear position is maintained throughout the response, concluding that the environmental benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Ideas are generally well-extended, such as the example of a flight from Jaipur to New York and the discussion on the impact on the local tourism industry. However, the prompt specifically asks whether the environmental benefits 'outweigh' the disadvantages, and while the student states a clear opinion in the conclusion, the comparative weighing of these two aspects could have been integrated more robustly into the body paragraphs. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing this response securely in the Band 6.5 to 7.0 territory, and thus warrants a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the environmental benefits, the disadvantages, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, with transitional phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, some cohesive links feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the dangling sentence structure at the end of the third paragraph ('Even though these problems are not significant and can be solved with appropriate alternate travel methods'), which lacks a main clause to complete the thought. Despite these minor lapses in cohesion, the structure is coherent overall, justifying a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'carbon footprint', 'phenomenon', 'isolation', and 'inauguration'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, the phrase 'decreases the global warming phenomenon' is slightly unnatural compared to 'mitigates global warming', and 'grew tenfolds' should technically be 'grew tenfold'. Additionally, 'alternate travel methods' is used where 'alternative' would be more precise. While these lexical errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching higher bands. The range is sufficient for a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses (e.g., 'a flight from Jaipur to New York city, including connections, takes up to 14 hours'). There are several grammatical errors present, such as the fragment sentence at the end of paragraph three ('Even though these problems are not significant and can be solved with appropriate alternate travel methods.') and minor prepositional or article slips (e.g., 'in the airport' instead of 'at the airport'). Nevertheless, the majority of simple sentences are clear, and the errors rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

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

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