Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-23

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)

In recent years, aviation services experienced a decline in sky because people often fly less, as compared to previous years. This benefits in terms of environment, but there are certain downsides to it aswell. In my opinion, flying less have more cons than its pros. This essay will cover slight advantages as well as more disadvantages for individuals and businessman.

Less airlines in sky means less environmental pollution, this is most beneficial advantage for our aaaworld. Aircraft burns fuel and releases gases that leads to global warming, therefore, fewer flights can reduce aviation related-emissions. In terms of flying alternatives, people often choose rail or road services because of the cost of aviation services, as poor or middle class families could not afford it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the environmental benefit of fewer flights, explaining that aircraft fuel releases gases and that fewer flights could reduce aviation emissions. You also state a position: “flying less have more cons than its pros.” However, the response only minimally addresses the question. It does not explain what the disadvantages are for individuals or businesses, nor does it develop a comparison showing why those disadvantages outweigh the environmental gains. The point about families choosing rail or road because of cost is relevant but does not clearly support your argument. The response is also 127 words below the required minimum, leaving the position and supporting ideas substantially underdeveloped. To improve, discuss specific effects on travellers and businesses and support your overall judgement with examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening paragraph gives a position, followed by a paragraph about environmental benefits. Linking expressions such as “In my opinion,” “therefore,” and “In terms of” help show relationships between some ideas. However, there is no clear overall progression towards a conclusion, and the promised discussion of disadvantages does not appear. The opening says the essay will cover “more disadvantages,” but the next paragraph focuses on environmental benefits and alternatives, so the organisation does not fulfil that signpost. Some connections are also unclear, particularly the shift from reduced emissions to families choosing other transport because of cost. Develop separate paragraphs for benefits and disadvantages, then conclude by directly answering whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “environmental pollution,” “global warming,” “aviation-related emissions,” and “alternatives,” which helps communicate the general subject. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the meaning less clear. For example, “decline in sky” does not naturally describe a reduction in air travel, while “less airlines in sky” is imprecise. “This benefits in terms of environment” and “more cons than its pros” are also unnatural formulations. There is a spelling and spacing issue in “aswell,” and “aaaworld” appears to contain a typing error. Build a more precise range for discussing consequences, such as access, revenue, employment, and carbon emissions, and check collocations and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a cause-and-effect sentence beginning “Aircraft burns fuel and releases gases that leads to global warming.” However, the response shows limited control of sentence structure, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to follow. In that example, the subject “Aircraft” does not agree with “burns” if used generally, and “gases” should take the plural verb “lead.” Other errors include “flying less have,” where the subject requires a singular verb, and “as poor or middle class families could not afford it,” where the clause does not fit the intended general meaning. Practise subject–verb agreement, articles, and complete, clearly connected clauses. Aim to produce accurate sentences before adding more complex structures.

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