Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In recent years, some individuals have chosen to limit or completely avoid air travel.Although this trend has certain drawbacks for individuals and businesses,I believe the environmental advantages outweigh them.

To begin with, proponents advocate that if fewer people travel by air fewer aircrafts will be used to accomodate them. Subsequently, less fuel will be burned leading to a reduction in carbon emissions. It has been recorded aviation results in approximately 3% of carbon emissions which is more than a person does in a whole year by other activities. If fewer people travel by air ,there will be fewer flights,leading to less amount of jet fuel being burned and thus, emitting fewer carbon emissions,which slows down global warming. Moreover, a reduction in the number of aircrafts mitigates pollution in all forms. For instance, fewer flights mean a decrease in noise pollution.People residing near airports witness high frequency sounds during take off and landing which distracts them while performing activities such as sleeping, and studying.

On the other hand, avoiding air travel is highly inconvenient as alternative modes of transport are inadequate. For example, trains and buses are not punctual and are time consuming. This increases the travel time and limits time spent with families . Furthermore, the aviation and tourism industries would suffer, leading in a high proportion of workers being unemployed and would hinder international collaboration as face to face business meetings would become difficult.For example, countries like Maldives and Thailand , whose economy solely depends on on tourism would face severe financial challenges.

In conclusion, although this trend has certain drawbacks, for individuals it causes inconvenience and for buissnesses it causes an economic crisis. However, I firmly believe its environmental benefits outweigh its drawbacks .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—environmental advantages outweigh the drawbacks—and is maintained in the conclusion. You address both sides of the question with relevant points: reduced fuel use and emissions, less airport noise, travel inconvenience, and economic effects on tourism and aviation. The emissions point is supported with a statistic, while the Maldives and Thailand example helps illustrate the potential impact on tourism-dependent economies. This is a well-focused response with ideas extended and supported. To strengthen it further, develop the business and individual impacts with more precise explanation: for instance, clarify which workers or businesses are most affected and why, and qualify broad claims such as countries relying “solely” on tourism. A more explicit comparison of the scale of these costs against the environmental gains would also sharpen the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-part structure: an introduction stating your view, a paragraph on environmental benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the argument’s direction clear. You also use cause-and-effect links, including “leading to a reduction” and “This increases the travel time.” At times, however, cohesion is somewhat repetitive: the first body paragraph restates the link between fewer travellers, fewer flights, and lower fuel use several times. Some transitions could connect ideas more precisely, especially the move from individual inconvenience to effects on businesses. Reduce repeated explanations and use clearer links between related points to make the progression more flexible and less dependent on formulaic signposting.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “carbon emissions,” “jet fuel,” “noise pollution,” “international collaboration,” and “financial challenges.” Phrases such as “mitigates pollution” and “environmental advantages” show an attempt to use more formal and less common language, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To move beyond this level, improve precision and collocation: “a high frequency sounds” is not natural, and “leading in a high proportion of workers being unemployed” is awkward. There are also spelling errors in “accomodate” and “buissnesses,” alongside some imprecise wording such as “less amount of jet fuel.” Proofread spelling and choose more idiomatic combinations, while avoiding repeated use of “fewer flights” and “carbon emissions.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and cause-and-effect structures: “if fewer people travel by air…” and “although this trend has certain drawbacks…”. These help express relationships between ideas, and the overall meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, the opening body sentence needs a comma after the introductory conditional clause, while “aviation results in approximately 3% of carbon emissions” is missing a grammatical link such as “that” or “of global.” The sentence beginning “Furthermore” also shifts awkwardly between “would suffer,” “leading,” and “would hinder,” making its structure difficult to control. Review comma use, sentence boundaries, and parallel verb structures; more consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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