Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-27

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)

In recent years, it has become increasingly common that more people have decided to limit their flying hours every year or to stop travelling through flying completely. While this development brings certain drawbacks, this essay will argue that the advantages significantly outweigh the disadvantages. because it reduces the carbon footprint mitigating the harmful effects on our atmosphere.

Admittedly, there are some disadvantages, the most significant is the reduced annual turn over for the airline companies. Airline companies employ a large sum of individuals to carry out their routine operations smoothly, another massive expenditure that these companies bear involves the regular maintenance of the aircrafts. These employees and maintenance costs in addition to earning profit are covered through the revenue these airline companies generate through their customers travelling abroad and declining number of travelers increases the financial burden on the companies affecting number of employees. For instance, In 2023, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) had to let go 30% of their work force due to financial crisis.

Nevertheless, the benefits provided by people cutting off their flying hours and avoiding air travel are far more substantial. Chief among these is the reduction of carbon footprint as number of operating flights will be decreased. Airplanes use fossil based jet fuels that release carbon dioxide (CO2) and other green gasses directly into the upper layers of atmosphere. Entrapment of these gases lead to climate change and global warming. To put this in perspective, airplanes have the largest carbon footprint among all modes of transportation and limiting the number of operating flights mitigates the harmful effects of these gases released by airplanes and protect our environment.

In conclusion, although this development is not without its flaws, particularly regarding the job security of the airline employees and the company total income, the overriding benefits of protecting our environment by reducing the carbon footprint make it a highly positive development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, maintaining a clear position throughout. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and both body paragraphs present relevant arguments supported by examples, such as the mention of Pakistan International Airline (PIA). However, the position is slightly interrupted by a punctuation error in the thesis statement where a sentence fragment occurs ('...disadvantages. because it reduces...'). Despite minor structural issues in the framing, the core requirements of the task are fully addressed and the ideas are appropriately extended, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression with logical organisation. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the drawbacks, then to the environmental benefits, and finally to a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, with transition markers such as 'Admittedly', 'Nevertheless', and 'To put this in perspective' guiding the reader through the argumentation. Paragraphing is used appropriately. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the flow is momentarily disrupted by punctuation errors between sentences, preventing the essay from reaching higher bands. Overall, the coherence meets the Band 7 standard.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'carbon footprint', 'mitigating', 'routine operations', and 'financial crisis'. There is an awareness of appropriate collocation and style, evident in phrases like 'declining number of travellers' and 'overriding benefits'. However, there are occasional inaccuracies, such as 'turn over' written as two words instead of 'turnover', 'aircrafts' (which is technically uncountable as 'aircraft'), and 'green gasses' instead of 'greenhouse gases'. These lexical slips do not impede communication and reflect the characteristics of a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0; given the flexibility demonstrated, a 7.0 is well-earned.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'Entrapment of these gases lead to climate change...'). There are frequent error-free sentences; however, a number of grammatical and punctuation errors persist. Notable issues include a sentence fragment in the introduction ('...disadvantages. because it reduces...'), subject-verb agreement errors ('Entrapment of these gases lead' instead of 'leads'), missing articles ('to upper layers of atmosphere'), and a comma splice in the second body paragraph ('...disadvantages, the most significant is...'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the grammar score from entering the Band 7 range, making Band 6.0 the most accurate description.

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