Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04
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)
In recent years, many people are choosing to fly low or stop flying completely due to environmental concerns. I believe the enivironment benefits of tis trend clearly outweigh the disadvantages.
On the other hand, reducing flights has some drwbacks for people and businesses. For individuals, it becomes difficult to meet family living abroad or to travel for holidays. For example, many Pakistanis living in the UK cannot visits Lahore easily without flights. For businesses companies depend on air travel for international meetings and importing goods. If executives cannot travel, business deals may be delayed and the tourism industry in countries like Pakistan will suffer a financial loss.
On the other hand, the environmental advantages are much significant.Firstly, airplanes produce a huge amount of carbon dioxide of greenhouse gasses which cause global warming and air pollution. If people fly less, air quality will improve climate change can be controlled. For instance, during COVID- 19 when flights stopped, the air in Lahore become much cleaner. Secondly, less fly encourages eco- friendly alternatives such as trains and busses which use fuel. This will save natural resources for future generations.
In my opinion, although there are minor inconveniences for individuals and businesses, the long term benefit for the planet is more important. People can use video calls for business and alternative transport for short distances. Government should also improve train systems to support this change.
To conclude, I think protecting the environment is more valuable than the temporary disadvantages of flying less, and everyone should consider reducing air travel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position throughout that the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are generally relevant, but the development is somewhat uneven. For instance, the arguments regarding the economic impacts on businesses and tourism are introduced but remain slightly under-developed, lacking deeper elaboration. Similarly, the environmental points mention greenhouse gases and air quality, supported by a clear example referencing Lahore during COVID-19, which shows the traits of a higher band by extending ideas with specific local context. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to fully extend every main idea with deeper analysis and more comprehensive explanations rather than moving quickly between points.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance maintained from the introduction to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used to group ideas logically, separating the disadvantages and advantages into distinct sections. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the misuse of transition phrases where the writer repeats 'On the other hand' for both the counter-argument and the main argument paragraphs. Referencing and logical progression are occasionally faulty due to these abrupt transitional shifts. To improve cohesion, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate variety of linking words and ensure that paragraph transitions guide the reader smoothly without repetitive phrasing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas clearly regarding environmental and business impacts. The student makes noticeable attempts to use less common items, such as 'environmental concerns', 'eco-friendly alternatives', and 'natural resources'. However, there are several lexical errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'enivironment' instead of environment, 'tis' instead of this, 'drwbacks' instead of drawbacks, and the awkward phrase 'fly low' instead of 'fly less'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, reflecting a solid command of a minimally adequate range with occasional slips. To reach a higher level, the student should refine spelling and focus on precise collocations and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'If people fly less, air quality will improve'. There are several grammatical errors present, including missing articles and preposition issues, such as 'cannot visits' instead of 'cannot visit', 'depend on air travel' lacking a preceding comma or restructuring, and 'Government should' missing the article 'The'. Punctuation and subject-verb agreement show minor slips, like 'the air in Lahore become' instead of 'became'. These errors occur alongside some error-free sentences and rarely impede overall communication. To move higher, the student must increase grammatical accuracy in complex structures and pay closer attention to articles and verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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