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, some people chosen to reduce the number of flights they take each year, while others consider that to stop flying completely. Although this trend may create some difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe crucial flights are valuable for some people who font of travelling and also for business purpose.

To begin with, one major reason is air travel is positive impact on environment. Airplanes produce singnificant amount f carbon dixiod and other gases, which contribute to climat change. If fewer people, the demand for flights wil decrease. Moreover, people may choose alternative forms of transport such as trains or buses for shorter tranportations. These options can reduce fewer emission and encourage the development of more sustainable transport.

On the other hand, reducing air travel can create disadvantages for both individuals and businesses. For individuals, flying often the fastest and conveinent way to travel long distances. People may have fewer opprtunities to visit relatives, take a international holidays or experience different cultures. Business can also affected because international flights are imporatnt for meetings, visiting clients, and developing relationship with overses partners. For instance, a company thet operates in several countries may find it difficult to communicate and build trust with foregin customers.

Despite these drawbacks, many of problems can reduce from technology and alternative transport. Online video meeting can provide various benefts without travel, while high-speed trains can provide shorter transport in some regions. In addition, reducing unnecessary flights does not mean to stop air travel.

In conclusion, although reducing air travel may limit convinence for individuals and create daunting for businesses, I believe environmental outweigh the disadvantages. A reasonble reduction in unnecessary fights and alternative transport can help reduce environmetal damage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position regarding the environmental benefits outweighing disadvantages. The main ideas are generally relevant, but the development is somewhat limited in places. For instance, in the second paragraph, the point about environmental impact is touched upon but lacks fully extended examples. The counterarguments regarding individuals and businesses are presented fairly well with examples like visiting relatives and interacting with overseas partners. However, there is a slight contradiction or confusion in the final paragraphs where the writer introduces solutions (online meetings, high-speed trains) that slightly blur the stance on whether disadvantages outweigh benefits. Despite these minor issues, the overall task requirements are met adequately, aligning with a Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different facets of the prompt, such as environmental impacts and individual/business disadvantages. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, using markers like 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, such as 'reducing fewer emission' and awkward sentence connectors. Furthermore, the progression of ideas occasionally falters, particularly in the transition between paragraphs four and five where the arguments feel slightly disjointed. These issues place the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'sustainable transport', 'international holidays', and 'overseas partners'. However, there are numerous lexical errors and spelling mistakes throughout the text, including 'singnificant', 'carbon dixiod', 'climat change', 'tranportations', 'conveinent', 'opprtunities', 'imporatnt', 'overses', 'thet', 'foregin', 'benefts', 'convinence', and 'daunting'. While many of these spelling slips and word choice errors do not heavily impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the lexical score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary remains minimally adequate and reflects Band 5.5 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some command of complex structures through conditional sentences ('If fewer people, the demand for flights wil decrease') and concessive clauses ('Although this trend may create...'). Nevertheless, there are frequent grammatical errors and missing words that disrupt grammatical accuracy. Examples include 'some people chosen' (missing auxiliary verb), 'consider that to stop' (unnecessary infinitive), 'air travel is positive impact' (missing preposition or possessive), 'If fewer people' (incomplete clause), 'flying often the fastest' (missing auxiliary verb), 'Business can also affected' (passive voice error), and 'environmental outweigh' (missing noun). These errors require the reader to occasionally decode the intended meaning, placing this criterion at Band 5.5.

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

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