Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-20

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 6.5)

Some people have chosen to fly less fequently or stop travelling by air altogher because of concerns about the environment. Although this development may create some difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that the environmental benefits are greater, particularly if people have suitable alternatives to air travel.

One major disadvantage for individuals is that reducing air travel can limit their ability to visit distant places. For example, people who have family members living abroad may find it difficlut to meet them regularly if they avoid flying. Air travel is also important to businesses, especially companies that operate internationally. Business owners and employees may need to travel overseas for meetings, conferences, or negotiations. If flights are reduced, some companies could face higher costs and lose valuable opportunities to build international relationships. In addition, travelling by train or other forms of transport can take considerably longer than flying.

However, reducing air travel can provide significant environmental benefits. Airplanes producing large amounts of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. If fewer people fly, the demand for flights will decrease, potentially reducing the aviation industry's overall environmental impact. Thiis is particularly important because millions of flights take place around the world every year. Furthermore, people can often use alternative forms of transport, such as trains and buses, for shorter journeys. For instance, travelling by train between cities can be a practical option while producing fewer emissions than taking a flight.

In my view, the environmental advantage of reducing air travel outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. Although flying is convenient and sometimes essential for international travel, it should not always be the first choice when other reliable forms of transport are available. A reasonable reduction in unnecessary flights could therefore help protect tthe environment without seriously affecting people'spersonal or professional lives.

In conclusion, reducing the frequency of air travel can create challenges for people who need to travel long distances and for businesses with international operations. Nevertheless, the reduction in carbon emissions and the wider environmental benefits make this development positive overall, especially when alternative means of transportation are available.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the disadvantages for individuals and businesses and weighing them against the environmental benefits. The writer presents a clear position in the introduction and maintains it throughout the essay, concluding that the environmental advantages outweigh the drawbacks. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning international business operations and the use of alternative transport like trains for shorter journeys. The arguments are extended logically across the body paragraphs, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression with a logical organization of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from disadvantages to environmental benefits and concluding with a balanced summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For example', 'However', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately throughout the response. While referencing and linking are generally managed well, occasional slightly mechanical transitions keep the response at a solid Band 7 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, incorporating less common items such as 'carbon emissions', 'international operations', and 'aviation industry'. There are some minor spelling slips, such as 'fequently', 'altogher', 'difficlut', 'Thiis', and 'tthe', but these do not impede communication. Word choice is generally appropriate and demonstrates an adequate awareness of style and collocation suitable for an academic response, comfortably aligning with the Band 6.5 to 7 descriptors, rounded here to a 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring conditional clauses and relative clauses such as 'people who have family members living abroad may find it difficult...'. There are several frequent error-free sentences, alongside a few grammatical and mechanical errors, such as 'Airplanes producing large amounts' instead of 'produce'. Punctuation is generally handled well. The control of grammar is strong enough to represent a solid Band 7 performance, as the minor slips do not impede communication.

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

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