Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Individuals take flights to reduce the number of times they fly each year, thinking this will decrease the number of flights, whereas others stop flying altogether.

In this fast-paced world of transport, every individual prefers to fly over other modes, as it offers the fastest route. This number increases every year, but individuals usually prefer this mode to save time. The knowledgeable individuals of society decided to reduce the number of flights to protect the environment. However, others thought it was better to pause flying together to prevent environmental ramifications caused by boarding the flight together. By taking this step, individuals provide a sign of the overuse of this mode of transport; if they stop flying altogether, then it also increases the economic ramifications for the airlines and underprivileged people. Businessmen commonly use first-class tickets while travelling from one stop to another for their own comfort. Conversely, if they stop flying altogether, it has a significant impact on airlines, as well as on amenities and fuel consumption for flights.

In my opinion, these environmental changes are beneficial while having some drawbacks for individuals and Businesses. Businesses might face a decrease in the number of customers. Flight sales may have a subsequent effect because of a lack of consumers. The timing of flights will vary not according to schedule but according to flight bookings. From my perspective, environmental benefits would not outweigh the growth but leave a major footprint on the businesses.

As an example, one of my friends, Rahul, used to fly every year. However, he used to travel a lot, and this took a lot of money. Despite this, he chose to travel once a year now. He finds that even the basic amenities have been replaced over time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, noting that eight words copied from the prompt were not counted. The writer attempts to discuss whether environmental benefits outweigh disadvantages, but the position is not always clear, and the ideas presented are limited and under-developed. For instance, in the second body paragraph, the transition from environmental ramifications to economic impacts on underprivileged people and businessmen is abrupt and lacks logical extension. The conclusion attempts to summarize the viewpoint by stating that environmental benefits leave a major footprint on businesses, but the core argument about whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks is muddled. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to present a fully developed position throughout, ensuring that every idea is extended and supported with relevant explanations rather than surface-level assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some organisation evident in the essay, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, but the internal flow within paragraphs creates confusion. For example, the transition between discussing air transport as a fast mode and immediately jumping to knowledgeable individuals deciding to reduce flights lacks smooth logical sequencing. Furthermore, cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate or inaccurate, such as using 'conversely' inappropriately to link business travel with airline amenities. Pronoun referencing is also occasionally unclear, leaving the reader to guess what terms like 'this step' or 'these environmental changes' precisely refer to. To improve, the writer must ensure a logical progression of ideas from sentence to sentence and employ cohesive devices more accurately to connect arguments naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic concepts related to transport and the environment. The writer demonstrates an attempt to use less common items, such as 'environmental ramifications', 'underprivileged people', and 'fuel consumption', but noticeable errors in word choice and collocation occur throughout the response. Phrases like 'pause flying together' instead of 'stop flying altogether' or 'flight sales may have a subsequent effect' demonstrate strain in expression. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical inaccuracies sometimes cause minor difficulty for the reader in grasping the precise intended meaning. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary and use words with greater precision and natural collocation, avoiding awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer uses a limited range of structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic complex forms. Attempts at more intricate sentence structures are frequently faulty, leading to grammatical errors that can cause difficulty for the reader. There are issues with verb forms and tenses, such as mixing past and present realities in phrases like 'Individuals take flights to reduce the number of times they fly each year... whereas others stop flying altogether' and the confusing shift in the personal example involving Rahul ('he used to fly every year... he chose to travel once a year now'). Errors in articles, prepositional phrases within grammatical patterns, and clauses also persist throughout the essay. To improve, the writer should focus on increasing sentence structure variety while maintaining strict control over grammatical accuracy, ensuring error-free clauses are more frequent.

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