Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29
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)
In recent years, whether people should reduce air travel have emerged as a subject of considerable debate. Some maintain that there are many benefits of travelling by air, while others argue that it creates a lot of pollution, but I believe that its benefits outweigh them.
As per my opinion, air travel is the fastest mode of transportation, because it saves a lot of time, as people can travel to long distances in shorter time period. People often travel to the different countries by plane to explore traditions, cultures and for their education purpose. Businessman prefer travelling by air, so that they can meet other people in shorter time. Moreover, people travel to other countries by plane to have better career opportunities and medical treatments. Although, it can also improve their standard of living, which can help them to achieve their desired goal. For example, students travel from one region to pursue their study, which improve their lifestyle and helps them to gain global exposure.
On the other hand, there are various disadvantages of air travel, as it creates pollution and makes so much noise. Furthermore, we have to pay high amount of money to travel from one place to another. Fewer flights can reduce tourism and affect businesses that depend on international visitors. For example, many students travel abroad by plane to study at universities at offer specialized courses. Reducing air travel could make it more difficult for them to pursue their education.
In conclusion, I think so, there are more benefits of air travel as compare to disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the environmental benefits of reducing air travel and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction stating that the benefits of air travel outweigh the environmental concerns. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the second paragraph lists multiple points—time-saving, education, business, and medical treatments—without fully extending or supporting them with concrete, detailed examples. The example regarding students pursuing studies is mentioned twice, showing a lack of varied supporting evidence. While all parts of the task are addressed, the ideas remain somewhat general and under-developed, placing this response at Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate different viewpoints, moving from the benefits to the disadvantages. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For example, the transitional phrase 'As per my opinion' is unnatural, and referencing between sentences can be slightly disjointed. The conclusion is extremely brief and reads almost as a single sentence fragment ('I think so, there are more benefits...'), which disrupts the logical flow and progression. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for the task, matching the requirements of Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'considerable debate', 'standard of living', and 'global exposure'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'whether people should reduce air travel have emerged' (subject-verb agreement error mixed with lexical awkwardness), 'for their education purpose', and 'Businessman prefer travelling'. Additionally, repetitive phrasing like 'travel to other countries by plane' reduces the lexical flexibility. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message despite these inaccuracies, a Band 6 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures such as 'Some maintain that... while others argue that...' and 'people travel to other countries by plane to have better...'. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('whether people... have emerged'), awkward preposition use, and minor punctuation issues. Complex sentence attempts often contain minor errors, though they rarely impede overall communication. The frequency and nature of these mistakes align well with the Band 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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