Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-14

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, a significant decrease has been noticed in the rate of travelling through the airway. Although this development can create some dilemmas in terms of air travel, particularly by consuming extra time and cost when using other transport to reach destinations, I believe that its advantages are greater because it decreases environmental degradation as well as the rate of bird deaths.

Admittedly, visiting by aeroplane or helicopter can have certain drawbacks. The major concern is that a huge number of airports will charge a massive amount of money in order to maintain their crew and infrastructure. For example, airline travel companies charges money not only because of the flight cost but also to provide payments to their workers and also to maintain the functionalities of the airline. In addition, it may also lead to the consumption of travellers' valuable time, since they need to choose other options for passing from one place to another place. Therefore, it is understandable why some people tend to reduce their flying.

Nevertheless, the benefits of less flying appear to be more significant. One major advantage is that it can reduce the rate of air pollution. Since aircraft burn tons of fuel in order to operate, which may lead to the emission of hazardous gases like carbon dioxide and degrade the quality of air. Another advantage is that the aves can peacefully fly in the sky, as there is no excessive noise and the high speed won't press them, which may lead to their deaths. If this continues in the long run, Earth will reform its shape again.

In conclusion, reducing flying is like a double-edged sword. Though it kills both our time and earnings, its benefits outweigh them by saving the environment as well as the creators. Therefore, despite some challenges, flying less should be seen mostly as a positive development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you believe the environmental benefits of flying less outweigh the disadvantages, and you address both sides of the question. The discussion of aircraft emissions is relevant, and you also identify costs and travel time as disadvantages. However, some ideas are only briefly explained or are unclear. The point about airports and airline companies paying for staff and infrastructure does not clearly show how reduced flying disadvantages individuals or businesses, and the claim that aircraft noise and speed cause bird deaths needs more convincing support. The final statement that Earth will “reform its shape again” is difficult to interpret. Develop the effects on businesses and individuals more directly, and use specific, plausible examples to support the environmental claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on benefits, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Admittedly,” “Nevertheless,” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, some connections between ideas are not fully clear. For example, the airport-maintenance point shifts to airline companies’ costs without explaining the link to the task, while “Therefore” introduces a conclusion that does not follow clearly from the preceding explanation. The reference to Earth reforming its shape also interrupts the progression of the benefits paragraph. Make each paragraph develop one central point in a logical sequence, and use pronouns and transitions only where their references and relationships are clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “environmental degradation,” “air pollution,” “hazardous gases,” and “infrastructure.” These choices show an effort to discuss the issue beyond basic terms. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. “Travelling through the airway” is not a natural way to describe air travel, “aves” is not the appropriate English word here, and “the creators” does not clearly refer to nature or wildlife. Phrases such as “passing from one place to another place” and “reform its shape again” are also imprecise. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and choose vocabulary that expresses your intended meaning directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a concession in “Although this development can create some dilemmas…” and a conditional structure in “If this continues in the long run…”. The main argument is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, sentence construction, and articles remain noticeable. For example, “airline travel companies charges” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Since aircraft burn tons of fuel in order to operate, which may lead…” is an incomplete construction because the dependent clause is not joined correctly to a main clause. “The aves can peacefully fly” also has an article and number issue. Review agreement and ensure that clauses beginning with “since” or “which” form complete, correctly connected sentences. Greater control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

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