Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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)

In recent years, some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogerther significantly outweigh its disadvantages because of fewar flights produce less carbon emissions and business people need to travel to meet clients.

on the one hand ,there are certain drawbacks to this development . The main disadvantage is that however,reducing flights can create problems for people and businesses.This is because business people need flights to meet clients and work with international companise. for example,a company may lose business opportunities if its workers cannot travel easily. Another issue some people depend on air travel . Therefore,it is important to consider these drawsbacks and take suitable steps to reduce their negative effects.

on the other hand, I belive the benifits are far more significant. Firstly,reducing flights can help the envirtonment. This is because fewar flights mean less pollution and can help reduce climate change. For example, people can use trains for shorts trips instead of taking planes. Other advantages is that air travel producesa lot of carbon benifits. Thus, this advantage can make people's lives easier and provide positive results for society.

In conclusion, Despite some minor negative consequences, I belive the advantages and disadvantages of reducing air travel are much more prominent because it helps to reduce traffic jam and air pollution. Although reducing air travel mau cause some inconveience and financial difficults for individuals and businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both sides of the question and state that the environmental benefits are greater, mentioning reduced pollution and the business need to meet clients. However, the position is not consistently expressed: the opening sentence is difficult to interpret, and the conclusion says the “advantages and disadvantages” are prominent rather than clearly confirming which outweighs the other. Ideas are limited and under-developed; for instance, the business example is relevant but not explained beyond the possibility of lost opportunities, while the environmental point needs clearer support. The response contains 219 words, so it is 31 words below the 250-word minimum; 18 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each main point with explanation and a specific example, then state your judgement clearly in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an identifiable introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion, so the reader can recognise the intended structure. However, progression between ideas is not always clear, and linking phrases are sometimes mechanical or confusing. For example, “on the one hand” introduces drawbacks, but “The main disadvantage is that however” combines connectors awkwardly. The sentence beginning “Other advantages is that” also does not clearly connect to the preceding environmental argument. The conclusion repeats both sides without resolving the comparison. Use one clear linking phrase at a time, organise each paragraph around a single main idea, and use references such as “this reduction” to make connections between sentences clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “carbon emissions,” “climate change,” “business opportunities,” and “international” work, which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several spelling, word-form, and collocation errors make parts of the response difficult to understand. “Air travel produces a lot of carbon benefits” appears to reverse the intended meaning, while “reduce traffic jam” is not an appropriate expression for the environmental argument. There are also repeated errors such as “fewar,” “benifits,” and “inconveience.” Build a small bank of accurate phrases for emissions, environmental impact, and business travel, and check spelling and word choice carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including a reason clause with “This is because” and a conditional example beginning “if its workers cannot travel easily.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences hard to follow. The opening is a sentence fragment or run-on, and “The main disadvantage is that however, reducing flights can create problems” has an unclear structure. There are also agreement and sentence-construction problems in “Other advantages is” and “Another issue some people depend on air travel.” Improve control by writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, checking singular/plural agreement, and using punctuation to separate clauses. Practise accurate complex sentences before adding more.

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