Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03

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 this contemporary world, some individuals believe that decreasing the usage of aeroplanes for travelling one place to another will be highly beneficial for the environment. However, I think that it is a positive development and will result in sustainable environment. This essay will discuss its merits and demerits in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, cutting off the use of aeroplanes will not only result in betterment of environment but it will also help to preserve the resources of environment such as fuel which is beneficial for future lives. If person stop flying it will helps in reduction of pollution and increase in use of public transports by which the goverment can obtain a considerable amount of profit. In addition to this, aeroplane tickets required a significant amount of money which a person have to pay for flying, if they reduce the use of aeroplane and use any other mode of transport will results in reduction of expense and a person can retain savings for future unforseen circumstances as we know future is uncertain a person cannot predict what will happen in future.

In contrast, reduction in using aeroplane will be a major setback for aviation industry. As if a person do not use aeroplanes for commuting aviation industry is unable to generate income which will also lead to unemployment. For example, if nobody or very less amount of person will use aeroplane it will put detrimental impact on pilot's as well as staff of the avaiation industry.

To conclude, although reducing usage of aeroplane carries multifarious advantages such as retaining resources for future and also reduction in carbon emissions, unemployment for working under aviation industry will result in losses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, expressing a clear position that the trend of reducing flights is a positive development for the environment. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the environmental and financial benefits for individuals are introduced in the second body paragraph, they remain somewhat limited and under-developed, relying on repetitive reasoning regarding future uncertainties rather than exploring broader socioeconomic implications. Similarly, the counterargument regarding the aviation industry is mentioned in the third paragraph but lacks sufficient elaboration and specific examples to fully explore the disadvantages for businesses. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to extend and support all main ideas with deeper explanations and concrete examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and the response is divided into logical paragraphs. The writer attempts to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition to this', 'In contrast', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical and repetitive. For instance, the transition between ideas within the second paragraph feels abrupt, and referencing phrases like 'as we know future is uncertain a person cannot predict what will happen in future' lack smooth integration. To improve, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure that the progression of ideas from sentence to sentence is seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to incorporate less common items such as 'contemporary', 'betterment', 'unforeseen', 'detrimental', and 'multifarious'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, phrases like 'betterment of environment' and 'very less amount of person' reflect awkward phrasing and unnatural collocation. Additionally, there are word-form and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'avaiation' instead of 'aviation'. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the precision of the argument. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical range and demonstrate greater control over word choice and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on straightforward patterns alongside attempts at complex sentences. These attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, containing errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and articles. Examples include 'If person stop flying it will helps', 'aeroplane tickets required', and 'unemployment for working under aviation industry will result in losses'. There are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar that require the reader to occasionally pause to grasp the intended meaning. To progress further, the writer needs to produce a greater variety of complex structures with improved accuracy, ensuring better control over grammatical agreements and verb tenses.

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

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