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)

Nowadays, having a international and national flight is very convenient. Individuals, who travels by air takes decision to travel by air less frequent or almost avoid it. I believe its cons outweigh the pros which i will discuss in the following paragraphs.

On one hand, students and employees, who study or work abroad can face diffifculties to meet their loved ones in their home country. Moreover, less number of trips also affects students or workers to explore less countries on their vacations. For instance, reduction in the number of flights can lead to fewer visits to their home town or meet their parents which results in homesickness. Another example is workers often tend to accumulate their leaves for the end of the year and avail in one go so they can travel multiple countries to gain the international experience but this can be stopped due to flight restrictions.

On the other hand, limitation on international visits also create pressing problem to the tourism industry not only but also it will affect the business trades in terms of time duration. For example, limited abroad trips can impact the tourism businesses and cost a huge loss which will eventually affect the economy as well. Additionally, business meetings and trades can also be affected and takes more efforts and time when using road transport instead of airlines which can cause unecessary delays in process or agreements which might be beneficial for country economic growth as well.

In a nutshell, limiting the airplanes trips can affect the relationship of loved ones and can slowdown tourism business and international country trade as well. I believe its disadvantages outweigh its advantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You take a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits, and you support this with relevant effects on families, tourism and international business. Examples such as workers visiting relatives and delays to business agreements help connect the discussion to individuals and companies. However, the task specifically asks whether environmental benefits outweigh these disadvantages, and the environmental side is barely explained: the introduction mentions the pros, but the body does not identify benefits such as lower emissions or reduced air pollution. Some claims, including that flight restrictions would stop workers travelling to multiple countries, also need clearer qualification. Develop both sides and explain why your chosen side is more significant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs signalled by “On one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a concluding summary. The examples generally follow the point they are intended to support, so the overall arrangement is coherent. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weakened by unclear or awkward links. For example, “not only but also” is incomplete, and the relationship between fewer flights and workers’ accumulated leave is not fully explained. The conclusion repeats the disadvantages without weighing them against environmental gains. Use linking phrases to show precise cause and contrast, and make each paragraph develop one clear line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “tourism industry,” “homesickness,” “international experience” and “economic growth,” which helps communicate the main concerns. There is also an attempt to use more formal expressions such as “pressing problem” and “accumulate their leaves.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, as in “a international and national flight,” “less number of trips,” and “business trades.” Spelling errors such as “diffifculties” and “unecessary” also reduce accuracy. Build a more reliable range of topic vocabulary and check whether phrases sound natural in context; precise expressions will make your ideas clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses and cause-and-effect structures, as in “which results in homesickness.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some points harder to follow. Examples include “Individuals, who travels” (subject–verb agreement), “takes decision” (missing article and incorrect construction), and “limitation … create” (agreement). There are also problems with sentence construction in “not only but also it will affect” and “business meetings and trades can also be affected and takes more efforts.” Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly connected subordinate clause, then check agreement, articles and verb forms.

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

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