Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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 5.0)

It is argued by some people that flying together makes them a little uncomfortable and they think that they should reduce the number of times they fly.

On the one hand, for businesses this would brough some advantageous effects because they won't get any distraction while flying and will be able to focus more on their business talks. Additionally, this development is quite suitable for people those who handle their businesses at daily routine or even in every month once or twice. Furthermore, there are many people who are distracted while flying together and are wanting to have individual flights and also want to reduce the time of the fly every year.

One the other hand, there would be many disadvantageous effects on local passengers that they would not be able to afford such expensive and individual flights. Tus this development can bring many negative impacts as the flights will be no more as a part of convenience for people.

In my opinion, although individuals and businesses may experience some inconvenience and financial loss, these problems are temporary and can be reduced by using modern technology such as video conferencing or choosing other forms of transport. In contrast, protecting the environment is a long-term benefit that affects everyone.

In conclusion, I believe the environmental advantages of reducing air travel outweigh the disadvantages because lowering pollution and fighting climate change are more important for the future than the short-term challenges faced by people and businesses. And people should get equal convenience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt only partially, which is characteristic of this level. While the writer manages to present a position and touches upon both environmental benefits and disadvantages for businesses and individuals, the ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, the argument that flying together makes people uncomfortable and that they want 'individual flights' is vague and fails to engage meaningfully with the core economic and travel implications of reducing flights. Furthermore, the development of ideas lacks sufficient support, resulting in a somewhat repetitive discussion in the body paragraphs. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to explore their arguments more fully, providing clear examples and ensuring all parts of the prompt are addressed with greater depth and clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay shows some overall organisation, with paragraphs dedicated to different viewpoints and a clear concluding stance, but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The movement between ideas can feel abrupt, and cohesive devices are sometimes handled awkwardly or used repetitively, such as the frequent transitions like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' which sit alongside somewhat mechanical referencing. Paragraphing is used to separate main points, but internal cohesion within paragraphs could be significantly improved to guide the reader more smoothly through the argument. To achieve a higher score, the writer must ensure that ideas link together logically with a wider and more natural range of cohesive devices, creating a stronger sense of flow from the introduction through to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express basic ideas. There are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'brought some advantageous effects' and 'every month once or twice', which make the writing sound unnatural. Other lexical inaccuracies, such as 'Tus' for 'Thus', also occur. While the writer attempts to use less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word formation and precise meaning cause some difficulty for the reader. To reach the next band, the student should expand their lexical repertoire and focus on natural collocations, ensuring that words are used accurately in context rather than relying on translation-style phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is restricted, relying mostly on a mix of simple sentences and a few attempts at complex structures that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and sentence patterns, such as 'people those who handle' and 'the flights will be no more as a part of convenience'. Additionally, issues with prepositions, articles, and verb forms appear throughout the text, causing some difficulty for the reader in places. To improve, the writer needs to increase the variety of complex sentence structures while exercising better control over basic grammatical rules. Practising subject-verb agreement, accurate article usage, and correct clause formation will help reduce the frequency of errors.

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

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