Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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)

Travelling by air is the most expensive means to travel because of cost of an airplane which includes its fuel, maintenance, and other amenities. A person earning an average salary cannot afford to travel frequently by air, its always the business men, politicians or ambassadors of countries who use airplanes for travelling purposes. Keeping in view the current world situation where a scarcity of fuel is observed and oil resources are decreasing some of the sensible people collaboratively decide to reduce their number of flights per year.

The major reason behinde this is that the world largest oil supplying resources are facing shortage with time because of increase in demands and no efficient increase in production. Another reason is due to ongoing war crisis the oil ships are not being able to move across middle east to US and other developing countries because of the sea channel which connects both sides is closed for export. The possible solution in this situation is to reduce the oil usage and find other convenient ways to manage affairs. There are prominent beneifts for this environmental development, the most significant is reduction in air pollution caused by fuels emitted from vehicles. The combusted fuel which rises in air contaminating it for breathing and as pollutants increase in air they cause serious damage to health. So one major benefit of reducing flights of airplanes is decrease in contaminants in air.

As far as those individuals who had to travel for important purposes or those who had to import goods from aborad because their business is dependant on it they might face some loss. But the loss can be covered in many ways the those issues which can be solved under a panel meeting by discussions individuals can address them through online platforms as internet is now accessible in every corner of world so that might not be a problem. Those business depending on foreign materials can find a sutiable substitute for their goods or in some cases they can order the raw material in abudndace which can outrun for a longer period. There are disadvantages but they can be covered if appropriate solutions are implemented and followed.

Environmental problems are a major concern in this century, they should not be overlooked. Possible measures should be taken to preserve and protect our environment and natural resources.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both the environmental benefits and the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, and your position is that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The discussion of reduced air pollution is relevant, while online meetings and alternative or bulk-sourced materials offer possible ways to limit business disruption. However, the position is clearest in the final paragraph rather than being stated directly at the outset, and several points are only briefly explained. For example, the opening focuses on the cost of flying and fuel scarcity, which does not fully establish why people are choosing to fly less for environmental reasons. Develop the environmental case more specifically and explain the scale of the likely benefits compared with the practical costs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: it introduces the issue, discusses reasons and environmental effects, considers disadvantages, and ends with a conclusion. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and phrases such as “Another reason” and “As far as” signal shifts in focus. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the opening moves from air travel’s cost to fuel scarcity, and the link between fuel shortages and environmental benefits needs clearer explanation. Some connections are mechanical or awkward, particularly the long sentence beginning “But the loss can be covered in many ways.” Organise the body around a clear comparison of benefits and disadvantages, and use more precise referencing and transitions so each point follows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “air pollution,” “oil resources,” “raw material,” and “environmental problems.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “preserve and protect our environment.” However, the range is limited in places, and several inaccurate word choices or collocations make the meaning less natural: “oil supplying resources,” “combusted fuel which rises in air,” and “outrun for a longer period” are unclear or unsuitable in context. Spelling errors such as “beneifts,” “aborad,” and “sutiable” are noticeable and reduce precision. Aim for accurate topic-specific expressions, such as “aviation emissions” and “rely on imported materials,” and proofread carefully for spelling and word form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because” and “where,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. For example, “A person earning an average salary cannot afford to travel frequently by air, its always…” joins two independent clauses incorrectly, while “the loss can be covered in many ways the those issues…” has an unclear structure. There are also recurring errors with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, as in “the world largest oil supplying resources” and “those business depending.” Use shorter, complete sentences when a longer structure becomes difficult to control, and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb, correct punctuation, and consistent agreement.

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