Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 5.5)

Aeroplanes are a major form of transport. It is one of the few transports that are capable of travelling across continents. Few individuals have committed to decrease their flying hours annually or completely halt it. My viewpoint aligns with the idea that it has more disadvantages. I will elaborate this stance in the following discussion.

The negative impacts will also arise which are far greater than its merits. For individuals, it means that there will be reduced access to international holidays and the time duration to reach a destination will also increase. Alternate transport costs will surge as demands will be high enough. For Businesses, it will cause the decline in international cooperation and eventually, innovation will be drastically limited by this. Another is that the joint ventures that boosts both partners will be cut-off and will be limited to only using digital social media platforms.

The positive contribution into the climate will have multiple effects. To begin with, this will lead to reduced carbon dioxide emission which will ultimately result in lower temperature annually. In addition to this, the pressure on natural resources will also drop as the fossil fuels are consumed in massive amounts in aviation industry. Lastly, it will slow down the rate at which our climate is changing, which means less flood and more crops production.

Overall, it is clear that reducing the air travel will be helpful but its harms are numerous regarding individuals and enterprises. The demerits are less vacations abroad, travel time will exceed and alternate transport prices will soar. For businesses, minimum international cooperation, almost no joint ventures and dwindling innovation

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task, discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, thereby establishing a clear position throughout. The introduction outlines the writer's perspective clearly, stating that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. The body paragraphs attempt to cover both sides, with paragraph two detailing disadvantages such as reduced access to international holidays and hindered business cooperation. Paragraph three outlines positive environmental contributions like reduced carbon dioxide emissions and decreased pressure on natural resources. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and generalized. For example, points regarding businesses and environmental impacts are stated rather than fully extended with specific examples or deep explanation. The conclusion is also abruptly structured and trails off at the end. Consequently, the response fits well within the Band 6 descriptor, as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, but some points remain underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the essay into an introduction, body paragraphs addressing disadvantages and advantages respectively, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is utilized, though the final sentence of the essay is incomplete, which affects the overall closure. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'To begin with', 'In addition to this', and 'Lastly', providing basic organization. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'The negative impacts will also arise which are far greater than its merits' and 'Another is that the joint ventures'. While the logical flow is mostly maintained, the cohesive framework lacks the flexibility and smooth progression associated with higher band scores. Therefore, the response aligns closely with the Band 6 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas related to travel, environment, and business cooperation. Terms such as 'international cooperation', 'fossil fuels', and 'carbon dioxide emission' demonstrate a satisfactory command of topic-specific language. However, there are noticeable limitations and occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. Examples include 'transports' used as a countable noun ('It is one of the few transports'), 'cause the decline' instead of 'cause a decline', and 'more crops production' instead of 'greater crop production'. Furthermore, the vocabulary lacks the precision and wider, more natural control seen at higher band levels. Because the range is adequate to convey the message despite these vocabulary errors and awkward phrasing, the response comfortably earns a Band 6 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'My viewpoint aligns with the idea that it has more disadvantages' and 'To begin with, this will lead to reduced carbon dioxide emission which will ultimately result in lower temperature annually.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. Instances include subject-verb agreement issues ('It is one of the few transports that are...'), missing articles ('the aviation industry', 'a decline'), and awkward phrasing like 'the time duration to reach a destination will also increase'. Punctuation and sentence boundaries in the conclusion also break down ('For businesses, minimum international cooperation, almost no joint ventures and dwindling innovation'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, reflecting the characteristics of a Band 5.5 to 6.0 performance. On balance, the mix of structures and frequency of errors place this at a Band 6.0.

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