Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-30

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)

Because of its environmental benefits, certain people have reduced their air travel frequency or have stopped completely. While this offer pros like reduced carbon emissions, the travelling time is a challenge associated with other means of travelling. In my opinion, the advantages of transitioning to means of commute other than aeroplanes ceratinly outweighs the disadvantages.

Since aeroplanes consume tremendous amounts of fuel, they have a higher carbon footprint which damages the environment to a huge extenet. The carbon dioxide that is emitted ultimately causes green house effect which leads to global warming. For example, a study conducted by a university in Islamabad showed that air travel contributes approximately 22% to global carbon emissions. Therefore, shifting to means other than aeroplanes can assist in remedifying the damage that has been done to the earth's atmosphere.

On the other hand, the individuals and businesses which will use sea or land transportation would have to deal with longer transportation times. While it will benefit the environment, it will affect the overall business operations and time management. For instance, if in an emergency, I have to reach a far off part of my country within a day, I will not be able to make it through a car or a bus. So, a longer transit time is major challenge associated with means other than air travel.

To conclude, some individuals are preferring other means of transporation over aeroplanes because of the environemntal damange it causes. This choice of theirs might lead to longer transit times, but the environmental benefits are significant. Therefore, travelling less or not travelling at all through aeroplanes has more benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the environmental gains outweigh the disadvantages, and the conclusion restates this view. You address both sides by explaining aviation’s emissions and the longer journeys involved in using land or sea transport. The example about needing to cross your country in an emergency makes the personal disadvantage understandable. However, the business impact is mentioned mainly as “overall business operations and time management” and is not developed with a specific explanation or example. The emissions discussion is more fully explained, but the claim that air travel accounts for 22% of global emissions is not contextualised. Developing the business side and supporting claims more carefully would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression from the main benefit to the counterargument and then to your final judgement is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “For example,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help signal these stages. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. In the introduction, “While this offer pros like reduced carbon emissions” does not clearly set up the contrast with the following point about travel time. The conclusion also repeats the central ideas without drawing together the individual and business impacts. More precise links between claims and examples, and clearer reference to both affected groups, would strengthen the progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “carbon footprint,” “carbon emissions,” “global warming,” “transportation,” and “transit time.” Some less common choices, such as “transitioning” and “remedifying,” show an effort to express ideas precisely, although “remedifying the damage” is not a natural collocation. There are also spelling and word-choice slips, including “ceratinly,” “extenet,” “environemntal,” and “transporation,” as well as “green house effect,” which should be written as one word. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy and polish. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully, especially in repeated topic words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concessive opening (“While this offer…”) and a conditional example (“if… I have to reach…”). Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the paragraph structure supports readability. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “a longer transit time is major challenge” needs an article before “major challenge,” and “the environmental benefits are significant” is followed by a conclusion whose comparison could be expressed more precisely. The sentence beginning “While it will benefit the environment” also has an unclear “it,” making the reference less secure. Review articles, pronoun reference, and sentence construction, while continuing to use varied clauses; this would improve control without sacrificing complexity.

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