Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-24

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)

Certain individulas have decided to travel fewer every year by plane or to stop flying at all. From my prespective, i would say that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of having this intention which will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, climate change is deteriorating with the passage of time. One of the concerning issue is fossil fuels on which our vehicles, trains, and plane rely. So, if we reduce the number of times for utilizing these facilities or do not use them at all, there will be less fossil fule consumption and there will be less detrimental effects on environment. Moreover, this development will assist people to save a substantial amount of money that they spend on flights beacuse travelling by plane is reletively expensive.

Coversely, planes have become vital for our lives because they are very convenient and we can easily travel from one place to another in less time. Moreover, planes are not solely responsible for the environmental damages, there are a lot of other factors which contributes more than planes like cars, trains, cargo ships, and others. If we do not travel by plane there will be more traffic on roads, more public transportation and vehicles will be needed on roads which will contribute more to environmental damage than planes. Subsequently, If we eliminate the planes there will be more cargo transportation in the oceans which has biggest impact on both the oceans and environment overall nowadays. Similarly, if anyone travels by plane, then will be a lot of distractions and travelling by road or any other means consumes a significant time which is disadvantageous for cooperate companies.

To conclude, reducing to stopping travelling by plane will contribute to environmental benefits to some extent but there will be a lot of disadvantages on the other hand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the question and state a clear position: you believe the disadvantages outweigh the environmental benefits. Relevant points include reduced fossil-fuel use and flight costs, alongside convenience, business travel time, and possible effects on other transport. However, the comparison is not fully convincing because several claims are asserted rather than explained. For example, the suggestion that avoiding flights would increase road traffic or cargo shipping needs a clearer causal link and supporting example. The environmental benefits are also discussed mainly through fuel consumption, while the disadvantages for individuals and businesses are unevenly developed. To strengthen the response, explain which effects matter most and directly compare their scale, using a specific example or qualification.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing generally helps the reader follow the shift from benefits to disadvantages, and signposts such as “To begin with” and “To conclude” make the overall direction clear. However, progression within the second body paragraph is less controlled: it moves from convenience to other sources of pollution, road traffic, cargo shipping and corporate travel without clearly linking these points. Some connectors, including “Moreover,” “Subsequently” and “Similarly,” are used mechanically or do not show the precise relationship between ideas. Improve cohesion by grouping related arguments and using clearer references and transitions to show cause, contrast and consequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “climate change,” “fossil fuels,” “environmental damages” and “cargo transportation,” and the main ideas remain understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “a substantial amount of money.” However, inaccurate word choice, spelling and collocation are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less precise: “travel fewer,” “fossil fule consumption,” “deteriorating,” and “distractions” do not express the intended meanings naturally. Some phrases are also vague, such as “these facilities” and “other factors.” Build accuracy by checking spelling and choosing standard collocations, and use more precise terms for the transport or environmental effects you mean.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if we reduce the number of times…” and a relative clause in “factors which contributes more.” This gives the response some structural variety, and most sentences can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence construction. For example, “One of the concerning issue is” needs plural agreement, while “which contributes” should agree with plural “factors.” The sentence beginning “Similarly, if anyone travels by plane, then will be…” is missing a clear subject in its main clause. Review agreement and ensure each clause has a complete subject and verb; this will make your complex sentences more reliable.

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