Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

A certain number of people have taken a decision to either lessen their flying frequency every year or cease to fly altogether. A lot of people are pondering about the environmental benefits of such decisions and compare them with any cons for individuals or enterprises. I strongly believe that environmental advantages of this development can outweigh the disadvantages for people or business to some extent.

More and more people taking up such decisions can perhaps be really beneficial for the environment as it reduce the carbon emissions of airplanes considerably. Less people taking flights can cause lesser flights to fly and can reduce air pollution. Moreover, with reduced passengers, government wouldn't take up developmental projects related to the expansion of the airports since it would not be required.

This conservative strategy can also act disadvantageous to many individuals and enterprises. Many business wouldn't be able to survive or expand, for instance a tours and travel company primarily relies on people's hobby or interest in travelling to other countries as they generate a hefty revenue through it which is necessary to pay salaries and live a comfortable life. Additionally, many individuals fly around for study and work purposes, thus stop flying altogether isn't an option for them. Reducing the number of times they fly can be a solution and can contribute to conservation of the environment.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that reduction in the frequency of flying can have various environmental benefits but I also stand with the statement that stop flying altogether can be more disadvantageous to the economy and individuals than it would be beneficial to the environment. People running a business by taking up flights can contibute their wealth towards aforestation or plantation drives which would culminate in restoration of the ecosystem.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, presenting a clear position throughout. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others, which is characteristic of this level. For instance, while the environmental advantages regarding reduced carbon emissions and airport expansion are introduced, the explanation remains somewhat generalized. Similarly, the discussion on businesses like tourism companies is relevant but lacks deeper support or varied examples. To reach a higher level, you should extend your arguments further by providing specific, well-developed examples and exploring the implications of your points in greater depth without relying on repetitive reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving from environmental pros to economic cons and concluding with a balanced summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Moreover', 'This conservative strategy', and 'In conclusion', but cohesion can sometimes feel a bit mechanical or formulaic. Additionally, referencing is not always completely clear, such as the pronoun use in 'with reduced passengers, government wouldn't take up developmental projects'. To achieve a higher standard, ensure smoother transitions between sentences and integrate cohesive devices more naturally so that the progression of ideas flows seamlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is used for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You attempt less common vocabulary such as 'conservative strategy', 'hefty revenue', and 'ecosystem', though there is some inaccuracy in word choice and collocation, such as 'lessen their flying frequency' instead of 'reduce', or 'taking up such decisions' instead of 'making such decisions'. There are also minor spelling slips, such as 'aforestation' and 'contibute'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher level of precision and natural control. To improve, focus on mastering natural collocations and refining your choice of academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-style reasoning to convey your thoughts. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omissions ('lesser flights to fly' or 'government wouldn't take up'), subject-verb agreement issues ('Many business wouldn't be able'), and prepositions inside grammatical patterns. However, these errors rarely impede communication and your meaning remains clear throughout the essay. To move up to the next band, you should aim for a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure greater accuracy in articles, pluralization, and verb-noun agreement.

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

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