Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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 5.5)

Some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or they are stoping flying altogether. This development has many advantages for environment like the fuel and preventing of air pollution.As we know that there is a lot of fuel consumption during flying. The fuel that is burned during flying is relatively more than driving or any other means of transportation. This can lead to the decrease in the energy resources of any country. Like other kind of transportation, aeroplanes and jets also causes air pollution. This air pollution is mainly due to the smog of planes. As the amount of air pollution increases, it can pose serious threats to public health. That is the reason, flying time per year must be reduced.

On the other hand, it can cause serious problems for those who are running their business and for those individuals who need to fly for their professional and necessary work. For example, if someone is going to make a business deals of more than $100 Million and it can largely effect their economy and the life of people than if flying is not available they can loss deal. Hence, it will directly influence the country. Likewise, there could be emergency that someone wants to fly for their nearest and dearest and taking their last breathes it will sharply effect the individual if flights are not available.

Ultimately, we can say that decreasing flying hours or numbers cannot directly benefit us. Governments need to adopt other policies to reduce environmental pollution and protect people's health rather than simply declining fly time per years or a balanced approach is necessary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question by describing environmental benefits and possible costs for businesses and individuals, and your final sentence gives a position: governments should use other policies or take a balanced approach. However, the position is not fully consistent: the opening focuses on benefits, while the conclusion says reducing flights cannot directly benefit people, without clearly deciding whether the environmental gains outweigh the disadvantages. The points about fuel use and pollution are relevant, but the explanation of how fewer flights would reduce harm is brief. The business-deal and family-emergency examples are pertinent, though their consequences are asserted rather than developed. Make the comparison explicit and explain why one side is more significant overall.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an environmental-benefits paragraph, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a concluding statement. Connectors such as “On the other hand,” “Likewise,” and “Ultimately” help signal shifts between these sections. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear or repetitive. The first paragraph moves from fuel consumption to national energy resources and then air pollution without clearly linking each point to the central comparison. “Like other kind of transportation” also makes the relationship between the examples difficult to follow. The conclusion introduces government policies but does not clearly resolve the question. Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main claim, and connect examples directly to the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “fuel consumption,” “energy resources,” “air pollution,” “public health,” and “business deals,” so the reader can follow the main subject. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “professional and necessary work.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making meaning less clear: “smog of planes,” “make a business deals,” and “declining fly time” are examples. Spelling errors such as “stoping” and “breathes” are noticeable. Aim for precise, natural combinations and check word forms and spelling; for example, use “reduce the number of flights” rather than “declining fly time.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional example beginning “if someone is going to make…” and a clause introduced by “As the amount of air pollution increases.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some passages difficult to read. Examples include “they are stoping flying,” “aeroplanes and jets also causes,” and “if flights are not available,” where verb forms or agreement are not controlled. The long business example also lacks a clear grammatical structure, making the relationship between its clauses hard to follow. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly attached subordinate clause, then check subject–verb agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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