Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-25

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 7.0)

In recent years, growing awareness of climate change has encouraged some people to reduce their reliance on air travel or abandon flying altogether. Although this trend could create certain difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that its environmental benefits are considerably greater, particularly in the long term.

The most significant advantage of reducing air travel is the potential reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions. Aircraft consume large quantities of fossil fuels, and frequent flights contribute substantially to the carbon emissions associated with transportation. If fewer people fly, demand for aviation fuel would decline, potentially reducing the industry's environmental impact. Moreover, lower levels of air travel could encourage people to use alternative forms of transport, such as trains, which generally produce fewer emissions per passenger. This could also encourage governments and companies to invest more heavily in sustainable transport infrastructure.Nevertheless, reducing air travel could have negative consequences for both individuals and businesses.

However, many of these disadvantages can be mitigated through technological and behavioural changes. For example, businesses can increasingly use video conferencing instead of travelling for routine meetings, while individuals can choose trains or other lower-emission forms of transport where practical. In addition, the economic costs of reducing flights are relatively concentrated in particular industries, whereas the environmental consequences of excessive emissions can affect societies and ecosystems on a much broader scale and over a much longer period.

In conclusion, although reducing air travel may inconvenience individuals and create economic challenges for some businesses, the potential environmental benefits are greater. A gradual reduction in unnecessary flights, combined with greater use of alternative transport and digital communication, could therefore provide a more sustainable approach to travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages of reducing air travel for individuals and businesses, presenting a clear overall position throughout. The arguments are well-developed and supported with relevant explanations, such as the comparison between aviation emissions and alternative transport like trains, as well as the consideration of digital communication like video conferencing. The stance is consistent from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. The ideas are extended effectively without drifting off-topic, aligning closely with the Band 7 or 8 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the environmental advantages, the counter-arguments regarding individual and business impacts, mitigation strategies, and finally a succinct conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and flexibly, as seen with phrases like 'Moreover', 'Nevertheless', and 'In addition'. However, there is a minor mechanical slip in paragraph two where a sentence fragment occurs ('...transport infrastructure.Nevertheless, reducing air travel could have negative consequences for both individuals and businesses.') and is immediately followed by a contradictory 'However' transition in the next paragraph, showing slight faultiness in cohesion management. Paragraphing is otherwise used sufficiently and appropriately.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally sufficient and appropriate for an academic task, demonstrating a good range of vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'greenhouse-gas emissions', 'sustainable transport infrastructure', 'mitigated', and 'societies and ecosystems'. The student attempts less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation, achieving precision in places like 'demand for aviation fuel would decline' and 'economic challenges'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses or limitations in lexical choice, but communication is never impeded. The control of word choice places this securely in the Band 7 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response exhibits a wide variety of complex sentence structures, including conditional clauses ('If fewer people fly, demand...') and participial or subordinate constructions. There are frequent error-free sentences demonstrating good control of grammar and punctuation. For instance, complex sentences like 'Although this trend could create certain difficulties... I believe that its environmental benefits are considerably greater' are handled with ease. Minor issues are mostly restricted to transitional phrasing errors, such as the run-on sentence transition in the second body paragraph. Overall, grammar and punctuation are controlled very well.

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