Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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)

Traveling has been a most efficient way of living in todays modern society which not only brings about new experiences but also considered as a great means of connecting people across the globe. To make it more convenient most people choose to travel by the means of flights, a mode that is widely prefered for its rapid and comfortable services. Travelling by flights comes with a good sum of amount making the services count. Thus, it is considered a luxurious experience.

Looking at the positive end, one cannot deny the adverse imapcts of flights. With growing demand, every year nearly 1000 flight are colectively added across the globe which leads to more air traffic and eventually surge in construction of airport expansions. Airports are usually situated in the outskirts of the city to avoid any calamtic accounts such as colliding birds and to maintain safe distance between the runway and human settlements like tall buildings and sky scrappers. This might turn out as a perfect checklist to maintain all necessary measures but in realtiy comes with a greater cost. Many forest areas are cleared in the expansion plans of the airbase, taking away a home for inhabited animals and birds in the location. The engine causes a great noise pollution which can be audible from miles away. As a result, Now a days many people are diverging from using flights as a primary option of transportation.

In my opinion , People with health conditions like heart issues and pchycholigical issues are suggested to take necessary preventive measures before boarding a flight which can take a toll on making the whole experience complicated. Considering the chaning lifestyle, people are moving towards more ethical options in terms of sustainablity and options that are convenient on a health front.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response recognises that flying has environmental costs, mentioning airport expansion, forest clearance, habitat loss and noise pollution. However, it only minimally answers the central question: it does not clearly state whether these benefits outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses. The final paragraph shifts to health concerns and ethical travel choices, but does not explain the disadvantages of reducing flights for people or businesses, such as reduced access to distant destinations or effects on tourism and commerce. The environmental points are also not fully connected to the development described in the prompt—people flying less or stopping altogether. To strengthen the response, state a clear position in the introduction and compare environmental gains with specific individual and business costs, supporting each with relevant explanation or examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has recognisable paragraph breaks and some progression from the general role of air travel to environmental concerns and then personal considerations. Linking expressions such as “Looking at the positive end,” “As a result,” and “In my opinion” help signal shifts. However, the overall argument does not develop in a clear sequence: the first paragraph mainly introduces flying, the second focuses on airport expansion, and the final paragraph introduces health issues without connecting them to the comparison in the question. The contrast between benefits and disadvantages is not organised into a balanced discussion, and some references, such as “This” in “This might turn out,” are not fully clear. A clearer structure—position, environmental benefits, disadvantages, and conclusion—would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

There is some range beyond basic vocabulary, including “air traffic,” “expansion plans,” “noise pollution,” “preventive measures,” and “sustainability.” These choices show an attempt to discuss environmental and health-related ideas. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow, for example “calamtic accounts,” “pchycholigical,” and “inhabited animals.” Several phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “a good sum of amount,” “a perfect checklist,” and “ethical options in terms of sustainablity.” The vocabulary is therefore sufficient to convey some relevant points, but control is inconsistent. Use more precise collocations, such as “a considerable cost,” “wildlife habitats,” and “more sustainable alternatives,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of simple and more complex sentence forms, including relative clauses (“which not only brings about new experiences”) and cause-and-effect structures (“which leads to more air traffic”). Most ideas remain understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “which not only brings about … but also considered” lacks a parallel verb structure, while “nearly 1000 flight are” has a subject–verb agreement and plural-form problem. There are also issues with articles and sentence boundaries, as in “a home for inhabited animals,” and inconsistent capitalisation after commas and full stops. These errors do not consistently prevent understanding, but they reduce clarity. Review agreement, parallel constructions, articles, and punctuation, then proofread each sentence for a complete and correctly linked structure.

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