Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
In recent years, many people decided to restrict the frequency of flights they take every year. There are some disadvantages of reducing the number of flight but multiple environmental benefits of aviation reduction outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. So, environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages.
On the one hand, the reduction of numbers of times they fly every year has considerable impact on individuals personal life as well as on businesses. Many individuals face trouble in travelling because aeroplanes take least time for long distances so reduction in flights put the passengers to long time journey which is a serious drawback. Moreover, the meetings for businesses and other projects face delay due to overcome in flights. Abstaining from flying can make maintaining long-distance personal relationships significantly more difficult and time-consuming.
On the other hand, the environmental benefits of this development are reduction in greenhouse gases, decrease in carbon footprint etc. When the number of flights decreases then the aviation emission decreases which is very beneficial for human friendly environment. It increase the temperature due to which global warming is significantly increasing in the world so by lowering the rates of fly global warming can be controllable. However, decreased in aviation helps government to invest in other sectors and make new developments in the country which increases the economy of the country. New development plans offer new variety of jobs which reduces unemployment.
In conclusion, while limiting air flights can be the cause of temporary issues but when we talk about long term benefits the the environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
Your position is clear: you argue that environmental gains outweigh the disadvantages, and you address effects on both individuals and businesses. The discussion of slower journeys and difficulties maintaining long-distance relationships gives relevant personal disadvantages, while reduced aviation emissions and global warming address the environmental side. However, some points are less fully developed than others. The business impact is mentioned mainly as delayed meetings, without a concrete example or explanation of how this affects companies. The claim that reduced flying helps governments invest in other sectors and create jobs is also not clearly connected to the environmental benefits. Develop these links and support your main reasons with specific examples to make the response more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the shift from disadvantages to benefits, and your final sentence restates your position. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second body paragraph moves from emissions and global warming to government investment and employment without explaining the connection. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “It” in “It increase the temperature” are not clear. Group related ideas more tightly, use transitions that show the precise relationship between claims, and make pronoun references explicit to improve the flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “greenhouse gases,” “carbon footprint,” “global warming” and “long-distance personal relationships,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “considerable impact” and “Abstaining from flying.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “reduction of numbers of times,” “human friendly environment” and “rates of fly.” Repetition of “reduction” and “development” also limits flexibility. Aim for precise, natural combinations such as “fewer flights,” “environmentally sustainable” and “flight frequency,” and check word forms and spelling. This would make your meaning smoother and more exact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional-style explanation beginning “When the number of flights decreases” and a contrast introduced by “while.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, plurals and sentence construction recur. For example, “the number of flight” should use a plural noun, “It increase” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “the the environmental benefits” repeats the article. The sentence about business meetings is also difficult to parse because its grammatical relationships are unclear. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, correct agreement, and complete, logically connected clauses; this will improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at complex structures.
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.