Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-26

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 6.0)

There has been a common observation that the number of times people flew across the globe has decreased and they chose to not to fly altogether. Although there are a lot of environmental benefits pertaining to this scenario , it also creates uncomfortable circumstances such as profit loss in businesses. I personally believe that the environmental advantages are greater but decreasing the number of flights is not the sole effort we should do.

With the industrial development, one of the major issues earth is facing is global warming and ozone depletion due to burnt fuels from cars, industries and aeroplanes. A few people have come forward to reduce the affect either by not flying or by reducing the number of flights they take per year. This development will be beneficial for our environment in several ways. A major proportion of the greenhouse gases will be reduced as several studies showed us that the exhaust gases from an aeroplane's engine are carcinogenic and impose environmental threats. With the significant reduction in the flights per year, earth will experience a cleaner atmosphere quickly.

Apart from that, there are several disadvantages associated with the people and the businesses which are spread across the globe. One major drawback is that people might experience loss in businesses as they can't reach meeting and conferences on time if they use other means of transport. Also a number of businesses necessarily requires the person to travel and check the goods in warehouses to avoid the scam and fraud. In addition, reducing the number of flights affect people emotionally as they will sacrifice the chance to meet their families after years for the sake of environment.

In my opinion, not flying by aeroplanes can be a personal choice and it varies from person to person. It comes with a lot of environmental benefits but ,overall, it will create a very small impact. Deforestation, reduced rainfall, industrial pollutants are the the leading cause with aeroplane's exhaust is just a small part of it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question and state a position: environmental benefits are greater, although reducing flights is not the only action needed. The discussion of business travel and family separation is relevant, as is your point that aviation is only one source of pollution. However, the comparison of benefits and disadvantages is not fully developed. For example, you claim that fewer flights will quickly create a cleaner atmosphere, but do not explain the scale of this effect or weigh it against the specific costs to individuals and businesses. The final claim that the impact will be “very small” also sits uneasily beside your earlier argument that the benefits are greater. Develop the comparison and make your position consistent throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental benefits, one on disadvantages, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “Apart from that” and “In addition” help signal the movement between points. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening says the number of flights “has decreased,” although the prompt describes a development people have chosen, and the conclusion introduces the idea that the impact is small without clearly reconciling it with the stated position. Within the environmental paragraph, the move from global warming and ozone depletion to carcinogenic exhaust gases could be explained more logically. Use clearer references and transitions that show how each example supports your comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “global warming,” “greenhouse gases,” “industrial pollutants,” and “deforestation.” These terms make the subject clear, and phrases such as “environmental threats” and “personal choice” show attempts at more formal expression. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however, such as “common observation,” “loss in businesses,” and “the leading cause” when referring to several causes. There are also spelling or form slips, including “affect” where “effect” is intended and “aeroplanes” used inconsistently with singular possessives. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check word forms; this will make your ideas sound more controlled without requiring more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concessive opening (“Although there are…”) and conditional phrasing (“if they use other means of transport”). Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “they chose to not to fly” has an incorrect infinitive construction, “a number of businesses necessarily requires” has subject–verb disagreement, and “reducing the number of flights affect people” also needs agreement. Articles and sentence punctuation are sometimes inaccurate, as in “one of the major issues earth is facing” and the comma placement around “overall.” Review agreement with singular and plural subjects, article use, and punctuation, then proofread for repeated words such as “the the.”

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

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