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)

A few people have decided to limit the number of times they fly by air annually. Although this step has some advantages, it has certain disadvantages too. This essay will discuss both.

A significant advantage of limiting the number of times we fly every year is that it can decrease the number of airplanes in the sky. Due to which, amount of fuel used by these planes will also decrease significantly. It will reduce carbon emissions released by the jet engines. It can have a postive impact on our environment. Air pollution will decrease, making our air more breathable. It can also have a positive impact on the birds flying in the air which usually die because of the planes hitting them near airports. For instance, during covid-19 when whole airspace was limited to a few planes flying in the sky, our environment got much better and we saw birds flying safely near airports.

There are some disadvantages associated with limitation of people flying every year. This step can affect businesses. Operating an airway business is very costly. By putting a limit on travellers will definately affect these business entities and it can also lead to the closure of many major companies. Aeroplanes can become crowded and people will have to wait for months just to get a ticket, which will have a negative impact on both peoples' life and economy of a country. For exapmle, international students can't join their universities if they don't get a ticket on time.

In conclusion, although limiting passengers to travel on plane can provide environment benefits, it can also lead to closure of the air travelling companies, leaving people to wait for months just to get a ticket.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the environmental benefits and the possible effects on businesses and travellers, and your examples—such as students being unable to reach university—are relevant. However, the task asks whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and your position is not clearly established: the introduction says you will discuss both, while the conclusion repeats the disadvantages without directly judging which side is stronger. The environmental case is also only partly developed; for example, the claim that fewer flights would make air more breathable is asserted rather than explained or supported. To strengthen the response, state your view clearly and compare the scale of the environmental gains with the practical costs, developing each main point with a clear explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph on environmental benefits, one on disadvantages, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of discussion easy to follow. You also use basic linking expressions such as “Although,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion.” However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “Due to which” is an incomplete link to the preceding sentence, and the conclusion largely repeats the disadvantages rather than bringing the comparison together. Within the body paragraphs, several effects are listed in sequence without showing how they relate or which is most important. Use clearer transitions between cause and result, and make the conclusion explicitly resolve the question of whether the benefits outweigh the costs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “carbon emissions,” “air pollution,” “airspace,” and “international students.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “a significant advantage” and “associated with.” However, the range is limited in places, with repeated use of “impact,” “affect,” and “limit,” and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate. For example, “airway business” and “limitation of people flying” sound unnatural, while “postive,” “definately,” and “exapmle” are spelling errors. Aim for more precise expressions such as “airline industry,” “restrictions on air travel,” and “reduce emissions,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and some attempts at complex structures, including the opening concession with “Although” and the relative clause “which usually die because of the planes hitting them.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. “Due to which, amount of fuel…” is a sentence fragment and also needs an article before “amount”; “By putting a limit on travellers will definitely affect…” has an incorrect sentence structure; and “people’s life” needs a plural form. There are also awkward constructions such as “limiting passengers to travel on plane.” Practise building complete cause-and-effect sentences and checking articles, agreement, and plural forms. More accurate complex sentences would make your reasoning clearer.

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