Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
It is believed by some that flying less every year or not flying at all could be beneficial for environment, as air pollution is decreased and resources can be consreved by doing so. On the other hand, there might be some points of concern like time required for some task may increase or it can prove tiresome for some individuals. Overall, I think the advtanges carry more weight than the disadvantages.
Firstly, deciding to travel less by planes can be very helpful in decreasing air pollution. Aeroplanes can produce a lot of harmful gases by burning fuel. As a result of these gases, the quality of air is highly affected. For instance pollutants like Carbon Dioxide can contribute to global warming, increasing climate tempratures all around the world. Moreover, using alternatives for commuting can save a lot of rare resources.To manufacture a plane, a lot important materials are used. Such as, Aluminum and Iron. Not only does these elements are limited, but also their mining cause signifcant damage to soil. So, flying less can contrbute a lot to decreasing these problems.
On the other hand, choosing to not travel by plane can cause signficant lose of time and comfort. Especially, companies are at bigger disadvantage because time is off essence in any buisness. Alternatives of planes can be painfull slower and time consuming, like ships take months to transport cargo that is transported in hours by planes. Additionally, If individuals may have to use alternatives of flyinh, they may have to travel by long and tiring routes. Such as, a bus from Karachi to Lahore takes 18 hours, while by plane it is a journey of merely 2 hours. But, these are all momentary problems in comparison to the environmental destruction cause areal commute.
In conclusion, there might be delays and tiredom in choosing not to fly but the advatanges in terms of air pollution reduction and conservation of recources are way more advantageous.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and the conclusion restates this view. You address both sides with relevant examples, including emissions and resource use, alongside the time and comfort costs for businesses and individuals. The Karachi–Lahore comparison and the contrast between air and sea freight help make the disadvantages concrete. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: the link between flying less and conserving materials used to manufacture aircraft could be developed, and the environmental case focuses mainly on pollution and resources. To strengthen the response, explain more precisely how reduced flying would produce these benefits and weigh them directly against the practical costs you identify.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the environmental benefits and disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression from air pollution to resource conservation, then to time and comfort, is easy to follow. You also use signposts such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “On the other hand” to guide the reader. At times, however, linking feels mechanical, and some connections between sentences are abrupt. For example, “To manufacture a plane…” is followed by a sentence fragment beginning “Such as,” rather than a smoothly connected explanation. The final sentence of the disadvantages paragraph also shifts quickly from travel examples to the overall environmental judgement. Use more varied transitions and make the relationship between each example and your main point explicit.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “harmful gases,” “global warming,” “rare resources,” “cargo,” and “environmental destruction.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt more specific terms such as “pollutants” and “conservation.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural word combinations are noticeable and sometimes distract the reader: examples include “consreved,” “signifcant,” “lose of time,” and “time is off essence.” Some expressions, such as “momentary problems” and “way more advantageous,” are also less suitable for a formal essay. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, and choose precise terms rather than relying on broad phrases such as “a lot” or “problems.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a conditional construction (“If individuals may have to use alternatives…”) and a contrastive pattern (“Not only does…”). Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “Not only does these elements are limited” combines incompatible verb structures and has an agreement problem; “companies are at bigger disadvantage” needs an article, and “the environmental destruction cause…” has an incomplete verb form. The sentence beginning “Especially, companies…” is also a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Practise checking subject–verb agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, while keeping the useful variety of sentence patterns you are attempting.
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