Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-25

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)

Traveling is one way on how people can relax while experiencing freely the other countries' cultures, tradition and famous cuisines. Although some people are fond of travelling and make it as a hobby, some people decided to reduce the number of times they will travel internationally or even domestic travel through planes. In my opinion, although the environmental benefits in this development, individuals and business will be affected.

In recent years, globalization made everything easier and more convenient to people to access all sorts of goods even if they are not travelling to other country. For instance, individuals choose to stay at home rather than travelling since they can purchase goods within their countrty. As a result, there is no need for them to travel. This leads to less air pollution caused by airplanes.

On the other hand, individuals and businesses will be affected in a negative way. One example of this is that the travel agencies and airlines will no longer have clients and passengers. Moreover, countries from all over the world will experience a great loss since there are less tourists visiting their countries. Consequently, the companies and firms will face a huge loss and will soon be closed.

In conclusion, I believe that even though reducing the number of travelling through airplanes benefits the environment, people will suffer from their business loss. There should be a balance between the two. It will help the environment as well as the people who also live using the basic needs in everyday life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the topic and give a position: reducing flights helps the environment, but can harm people and businesses. The body paragraphs include relevant points about lower aircraft pollution and losses for airlines, travel agencies, and tourist destinations. However, the environmental benefit is only briefly explained, and the disadvantages are asserted rather than supported with a specific example or fuller explanation. The conclusion’s call for “a balance” does not clarify how you weigh the benefits against the disadvantages, so your answer to whether the benefits outweigh the costs remains unclear. The response is also 245 words, below the 250-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Develop both sides further and state your comparative judgement directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

Your response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the shift between points. The progression is generally understandable, but the links between claims could be more explicit. For example, the paragraph about globalization and buying goods at home does not fully explain why this leads people to fly less, and the conclusion introduces “a balance” without showing how it follows from the comparison. Some linking is also formulaic, with “For instance,” “As a result,” and “Consequently” carrying much of the progression. Explain the cause-and-effect relationships more fully and connect each example directly to your main argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “air pollution,” “travel agencies,” “airlines,” and “tourists.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “globalization” and “experience a great loss.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “travelling through airplanes,” “make it as a hobby,” and “live using the basic needs” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Spelling errors such as “countrty” are also noticeable. Aim for more precise, natural combinations and check spelling carefully; for example, use “air travel,” “take up travelling as a hobby,” and “depend on businesses for their livelihoods.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a concession in “Although some people are fond of travelling…” and a relative clause in “goods… even if they are not travelling.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some sentence structures and grammatical forms are inaccurate. For example, “one way on how people can relax” has an awkward construction, while “some people decided” shifts tense unnecessarily in a general discussion. There are also issues with articles, agreement, and sentence formation, as in “individuals and business will be affected” and “there are less tourists.” These errors do not usually prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. Practise reliable patterns for general statements and review singular/plural agreement, articles, and clause construction.

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