Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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)

Nowadays, some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether. Reducing or stoping the air travel is beneficial for the environment.

In my opinion, reducing air travel may reduce the air pollution and actually can help to enhance the enviorment. For instance, air travel such as airplanes and helicopters are responsible for the air pollution. They use fuel which burns and keep the engine run. As result, toxic gases have been produced by burring fuel and causes the air pollution. In addition, it destroyes the ozone layer which protects us by ultra voilet rays.

Furthermore, reducing flights can create numereous challenges for buisness. The main reason is behind, some businessmen used to travel via flights. They can go every where in a very short time. If this happens they have to wait for a long time. By contrast, some companies that rely on internation travel for meeting and contracts may face longer travels time and delay projects execution.

In conclusion, i believe that although many difficulties may occur by this action but the environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear overall view in the conclusion: environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages. You also identify relevant points about pollution and business travel. However, the response addresses the task only partially: the disadvantages for individuals are not explained, and the business point is brief and partly repeated. The environmental explanation also needs more accurate development; for example, the claim that flights destroy the ozone layer is asserted without support. The response contains 163 words, so it is 87 words below the required minimum; 32 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This leaves too little space to explain and support each part of the question. Develop both sides with specific examples and make the comparison explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for environmental and business effects, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “In addition,” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships between points. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the business paragraph moves from businessmen travelling quickly to waiting and then to companies facing delays, without fully connecting these ideas. Some links are also mechanical, and “By contrast” does not introduce a clear contrast with the preceding sentence. Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main point, then explain it in a logical sequence. A fuller discussion of individual disadvantages would also help create a more balanced progression across the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “air pollution,” “toxic gases,” “ozone layer,” “contracts,” and “project execution.” This gives the response enough vocabulary to communicate its main ideas. However, the range is limited, and several spelling errors or imprecise expressions make the writing less clear, such as “enviorment,” “buisness,” and “internation travel.” Phrases such as “the main reason is behind” and “longer travels time” are not natural collocations. Aim to use more precise language for environmental impact and business consequences, and check spelling carefully. Replacing repeated general terms such as “air travel” and “difficulties” with accurate alternatives would also make the argument more specific.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “companies that rely on international travel” and a contrast clause beginning “although.” The main meaning is generally understandable, but errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “Reducing or stoping” uses mismatched verb forms, “airplanes and helicopters are responsible” does not fit the intended general claim clearly, and “it destroyes” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. In “toxic gases have been produced … and causes,” the verb forms do not agree. Practise consistent verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction, and proofread punctuation and capitalisation, including the lowercase “i” in the conclusion.

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

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