Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06

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 6.5)

With the growing environmental concerns regarding frequent flying, some people are now opting to reduce the number of flights they take or are considering to completely stop flying. While this topic is subject to debate, I believe that the benefits of flying outweigh the environmental concerns.

In the 21st century flying has allowed people to go from one country to another in a matter of hours, what once took days via ships is now done much quicker. Flying allows people to remain connected with the world. Remote areas can now be accessed via plane allowing goods to be traded and helping businesses to flourish. Flying allows goods to be transported much quicker as well, businesses can transport perishable items much quicker which provides them financial gain. For example, fruits from South Asia will rot if transported via ships as it takes too long. On the other hand flying has allowed these items to be transported within hours. Flying further lets people to travel and promote tourism, this will help economies prosper and create more job opportunities.

On the contrary, flying does have adverse environmental impacts due the carbon emitted during flights. These carbon emissions lead to the ozone layer depleting thus causing further global warming. Furthermore, these emissions cause air pollution which in turn harms people's breathing. Aeroplanes consume a lot of fossil fuels, such large consumption of fuel puts a large burden on natural resources causing them to deplete much quicker. While these issues are valid, they can be resolved by taking the right steps. Carbon emissions can be offset by planting trees, many airlines currently offset their carbon emissions by planting trees that would offset the negative impact. With planes now using modern technology, it is expected that newer planes will be much more fuel efficient and may even use renewable sources of energy in the future.

In conclusion, part of the financial gain from flying can be used to offset the environmental impact. Taking initiatives such as planting trees would help to counter the emissions. Furthermore, an emphasis should be placed to use cleaner sources of energy for planes, so people and businesses can continue to reap the benefits of flying.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your response successfully addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position on whether the environmental benefits of reducing flights outweigh the disadvantages. You discuss both sides of the argument, considering environmental impacts alongside economic and personal consequences. However, your ideas are developed somewhat unevenly. While your points about trade, tourism, and emissions are relevant, some arguments lack full extension. For instance, the discussion on perishable goods and fruit from South Asia is a good specific example, but other points remain generalized without deep elaboration. To reach a higher band, you would need to extend and fully develop all your main ideas rather than introducing multiple points in quick succession without detailed support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, such as the benefits of flying in the second paragraph and the environmental drawbacks in the third. You use some cohesive devices appropriately to connect your thoughts, such as 'Furthermore,' 'On the contrary,' and 'In conclusion.' However, cohesion is at times a bit mechanical, and referencing between sentences could be smoother to establish a more seamless flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and the transition from discussing advantages to disadvantages is clear, showing strong organizational skills that meet the requirements of this band while holding the potential for more flexible referencing found in higher levels.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully conveying your ideas about environmental concerns, global trade, and economic prosperity. You attempt some less common lexical items, such as 'perishable items,' 'financial gain,' 'carbon emissions,' and 'fossil fuels,' showing an awareness of topic-specific language. However, there are some occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'due the carbon emitted' (missing 'to') or phrasing certain arguments in a repetitive manner. Spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow your arguments. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of sophisticated vocabulary with greater precision and natural stylistic control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You display a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout your essay, utilizing complex structures such as subordinate clauses ('While this topic is subject to debate, I believe...'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing prepositions or articles (e.g., 'due the carbon emitted', 'placed to use cleaner sources'), and minor punctuation issues like comma splices or missing commas before conjunctions. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, meaning the reader can easily grasp your meaning. To move up to a higher band, you would need to produce a higher frequency of error-free sentences using a wider variety of complex structures with tighter grammatical control.

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