Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

In recent years, an increasing number of people have chosen to reduce their air travel or avoid flying altogether because of environmental concerns. Although this decision may create some difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe that its environmental benefits are more significant than drawbacks.

On the one hand, reducing air travel can have negative consequences.For individual traveling by plane is often the fastest and most convenient way to visit the family members.If people stop flying,they may have fewer opportunities to maintain personal relationships and experience different cultures.Moreover,many businesses depend on air travel to meet international clients,attend conferences and develop partnerships. A reduction in flights could also effect the toursim industry, particularly hotels, travel agencies and local businesses that rely on foreign visitors. As a result, some companies might experience financial losses.

On the other hand, reducing air travel can provide significant environmental benefits.Aircrafts release large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,contributing to global warming and climate change.If fewer people travel by plane,the demand for flights may decrease,which could help reduce carbon emissions.This would be particularly beneficial in the long term,as climate change is already causing serious problems,including extreme waether events,rising temperatures and damage to natural natural ecosystems.Furthermore,citizens can use alternative methods of transport such as trains and buses for shorter journeys.Businesses can also arrange online meetings instead of travelling abroad,saving both time and money while reducing their environmental impact.

In conclusion,although reducing air travel may cause inconvenience for individuals and financial difficulties for some businesses,I believe that its environmental benefits are more important.Protectiong the planet and reducing green house gas emissions should be a priority because these measures can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you acknowledge disadvantages but argue that environmental benefits are more important. You address effects on both individuals and businesses, including family visits, international meetings, tourism-related businesses, emissions and alternative transport. The examples are relevant and the main ideas are extended with explanations, such as linking fewer flights to lower demand and reduced emissions. This gives the response a clear, well-supported answer to the question. To strengthen it further, develop the comparison between the scale of environmental gains and the practical or financial costs more explicitly. For instance, the tourism impact is identified, but a specific example or explanation of how businesses could adapt would make that point more convincing and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: the introduction states your view, the two body paragraphs present opposing considerations, and the conclusion restates your judgement. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the structure easy to follow, while ideas within each paragraph generally move in a logical order. Some linking is a little mechanical, however, and the long sequence of effects in the environmental paragraph could be connected more smoothly. There are also places where punctuation and spacing make boundaries less clear, such as “consequences.For” and “atmosphere,contributing.” Use consistent spacing and vary transitions by showing relationships between ideas—for example, cause, consequence or contrast—rather than relying mainly on paragraph-opening phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “environmental concerns,” “carbon emissions,” “climate change,” “international clients” and “sustainable future.” These choices communicate the argument clearly, and some phrases show an attempt to use more specific language. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “effect” where “affect” is needed, “toursim,” “waether,” “natural natural ecosystems,” and “Protectiong.” Some collocations and forms are also inaccurate, such as “Aircrafts release large amount” and “green house gas emissions.” Proofread carefully and learn common environmental collocations as complete phrases. More precise alternatives for general expressions such as “serious problems” would also help make the vocabulary more flexible and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“Although this decision may create…”) and conditional structures (“If fewer people travel by plane…”). Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the argument remains easy to understand. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist, though. In “For individual traveling by plane is often…,” the opening phrase needs a clearer grammatical form, such as “For individuals, travelling by plane is often…”. There are also agreement and article issues in “Aircrafts release large amount,” and missing spaces after punctuation make sentence boundaries less accurate. Review plural forms, articles and comma use, and check that introductory phrases are followed by a clear subject. Greater consistency in these areas would improve control while retaining your varied sentence 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.