Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Some people believe by reducing the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether have several environmental benefits. I personally believe that the disadvantages of this development outweigh the advantages for individuals and businessess as it could impact their business life. This topic however, requires further discussion.

According to some people, if they reduce the number of times they fly every year they can contribute to saving environment from harmful gases that are released from engines of airplanes. For instance, if they stop flying it would lead to less flights which would decrease the number of gases being released in the atmosphere which are harming the ozone layer. As a result, our environment would be safe due to less damage to ozone layer which protects us from harmful rays of the sun.

On the other hand, while there are advantages of less flights or no flights, there are also some cons of it. Primary disadvantage of less flights is less revenue for businessess and the country. To elaborate, if people reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether it would lead to losses in some businesses like airlines, the country would face problems like unemployment, and lower GDP. As an outcome, businesses will shutdown which would lead to horrific circumstances for both the people and the country.

To conclude, I strongly believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages as through technology people can reduce the harmful gases being released in the air however, they would not be able to stop the other major factors like unemployment and financial losses which can significantly impact the state leading to horrific scenarios.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear overall view that the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits, and you address both sides with relevant points about emissions, airline revenue, unemployment and GDP. However, the discussion is only partial: the environmental point is mainly explained through ozone-layer damage, while the business and individual impacts are asserted rather than supported with a specific example or fuller explanation. The conclusion repeats your position but introduces technology as a solution without explaining how it changes the comparison. The response is also 243 words, below the 250-word minimum; the 36 words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Develop each main point with a concrete example and explain why it matters to individuals as well as businesses.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable four-paragraph structure: introduction, environmental benefit, disadvantages and conclusion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of your argument, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “To conclude” make the shifts clear. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, with several claims placed together without enough explanation of how one leads to the next. For example, the move from airline losses to national unemployment and lower GDP is asserted rather than carefully connected. Some linking phrases, including “As an outcome,” feel mechanical, and the introduction’s final sentence, “This topic however, requires further discussion,” does not advance the argument. Build clearer cause-and-effect links and use referencing and transitions more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “harmful gases,” “revenue,” “unemployment” and “GDP.” However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which makes parts of the argument less precise. “Saving environment” needs an article, while “business life” does not clearly express the intended impact on businesses. “Horrific circumstances” and “horrific scenarios” are repeated and overly dramatic for this discussion; more measured terms would suit an academic essay. There are also spelling errors, notably “businessess” and “shutdown” where the intended form is “shut down.” Aim for precise topic-specific wording and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentences, using conditional clauses such as “if they stop flying it would lead to less flights” and a relative clause in “the ozone layer which protects us.” However, the range is limited, and complex constructions are often faulty. The opening sentence, “Some people believe by reducing … have several environmental benefits,” lacks a clear grammatical structure; the prompt’s alternatives are also mismatched in “reduce … or to stop.” Other errors include “less flights” instead of a plural count noun, “businesses will shutdown,” and punctuation around “however” in the introduction and conclusion. These errors recur and sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise building accurate sentences with “if,” “because” and “although,” then check agreement, articles and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.