Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19

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 7.5)

In recent years, an increasing number of people have chosen to fly less frequently or avoid air travel altogether because of its environmental impact. While this trend may create certain difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that the environmental benefits outweigh these disadvantages, particularly if alternative forms of transport and communication are available.

On the one hand, reducing air travel can create several disadvantages for individuals. Airplanes are often the fastest and most convenient way to travel long distances, especially for international journeys. People who fly less may therefore spend considerably more time travelling by train, bus or car. This could make visitng relatives, taking holidays or attending important events more difficult. For example, someone living in India who has family members in Europe may find that avoiding flights make international visits considerably longer and more expensive. Furthermore, tourism-dependent businesses such as hotels, restaurants and travel agencies may experience a decline in customers if fewer people travel by air. International companies could also face difficulties if their employees are unable to attend overseas meetings or establish face-to-face relationships with clients.

On the other hand, reducing the number of flights can provide significant environmental advantages. Air travel produces substantial greenhouse-gas emissions, so fewer flights would contribute to reducing the overall carbon footprint of individuals and society. This is particularly important because climate change is a long-term global problem that can affect ecosystems, agriculture and human settlements. Moreover, encouraging people to use trains and other forms of public transport can reduce emissions while also promoting more sustainable patterns of travel. For instance, where high-speed rail is available, travelling by train instead of taking a short domestic flight can provide a practical alternative without completely restricting people's ability to travel.

In my opinion, the environmental benefits are greater than the disadvantages, although this does not mean that people should completely stop flying. A more realistic approach woulf be to reduce unnecessary flights while continuing to use air travel when there is no reasonable alternative. Businesses can also replace some international meetings with video conferencing, which allows employees to communicate effectively without travelling. In this way, companies can reduce travel-related costs and emissions while maintaining international connections.

In conclusion, flying less may reduce convenience for individuals and create challenges for some businesses, particularly those dependent on international tourism and travel. Nevertheless, the reduction in environmental damage, together with the increasing availability of alternatives such as rail travel and online meetings, make this development beneficial overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by evaluating both the disadvantages for individuals and businesses and the environmental benefits of reducing air travel. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay, beginning with the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as the comparison of international visits from India to Europe and the reliance of tourism-dependent businesses on air passengers. The arguments are logical, well-extended, and directly answer the prompt without any noticeable digressions or omissions, aligning strongly with the Band 8 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt, such as individual disadvantages in paragraph two and environmental advantages in paragraph three. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In my opinion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Referencing is clear and unambiguous throughout, demonstrating a high degree of control over textual flow, which satisfies the requirements for a Band 8 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student exhibits a wide, flexible, and natural range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task. Words and phrases such as 'greenhouse-gas emissions', 'carbon footprint', 'tourism-dependent businesses', and 'sustainable patterns of travel' are used with precision. There is only a minor typographical error near the end ('woulf' instead of 'would'), but this is an isolated slip rather than a systemic weakness. The writer demonstrates an ability to use less common lexical items with good awareness of collocation and style, easily achieving a Band 7.5 or 8.0, rounded here to 8.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

A wide range of complex grammatical structures is employed successfully throughout the response. The writer uses conditional concepts, subordinate clauses, and varied sentence lengths with a high degree of control. The majority of sentences are completely error-free. While there is a single minor typographical slip ('woulf'), grammar and punctuation are generally handled with great accuracy, and no errors impede communication at any point. This strong control over diverse syntactic structures comfortably places the response in the Band 8 category.

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