Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-31

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)

Some individuals have chosen to reduce of the number of times they fly during the year or stop flying anymore. I consider that this action brings benefits that outweight disadvantages for individuals and businesses.

Firstly, many airlines will shut down because there is less demand in the area. Less people buying tickets represent less income for the company. For example, when I was living in Ecuador, there was a new airline company. During the first year, everything was great in that company, but when the Covid-era began, they had to reduce its staff members, and later they sadly had to close it completely. The bussinesses that stays working, will avoid to increase the ticket price when someone is in hurry, because they know that people could take other transport. For instance, last year when I was trying to get a ticket for the same day the price increased dramatically. I had to pay around 300 dollars more that usual. The need of getting one made me confirm the price. This could have been different if there were not a lot of competitors.

Secondly, environmentally speaking the effects are huge and positivie, some of them are the reduction of carbone dioxide and use of fuel, because every fly needs tons of fuel. The frecuency of taking a plane instead of a car or other means of transport, is the main reason why the pollution has increased this last decade. For example, the same amount of fuel you use in a fligh, can be used in 100 particular cars, which represent an important help for our planet.

In conclusion, businesses may close due to less pay they get, and they could remain the tickets prices at the same value, even if you want to get it at the last minute. On the other hand, the enviroment get benefits such as reduction of corbone dioxide and use of fuel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and you address both sides of the question. The airline closure and higher last-minute ticket prices are relevant disadvantages, while reduced fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions support your view. However, the business discussion is more developed than the environmental case: the claim that flying is a main reason pollution has increased is broad, and the comparison between one flight’s fuel and that used by 100 cars needs explanation or evidence. The conclusion restates the main points but does not weigh them explicitly. To strengthen the response, explain why the environmental gains are more significant overall and develop the environmental example more carefully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. The examples generally appear beside the points they illustrate, which helps the reader follow the discussion. However, the first body paragraph combines airline closures with ticket pricing, and the connection between these two effects is not made clear. Some linking is mechanical, while references such as “they” in the airline example can be unclear. The conclusion also repeats earlier claims rather than drawing the comparison together. Give each paragraph a more focused central idea, use clearer references, and add transitions that show how the disadvantages compare with the environmental benefits.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “demand,” “staff members,” “ticket price,” “fuel,” and “carbon dioxide.” These choices allow you to communicate the main points, but several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision. Examples include “reduce of the number,” “stop flying anymore,” “the businesses that stays working,” and misspellings such as “outweight,” “positivie,” and “carbone.” Some expressions are also imprecise, such as “the same amount of fuel you use in a flight,” which does not specify the flight or journey being compared. Build accuracy by checking spelling and choosing natural collocations, and use more precise terms when describing emissions and business effects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “This could have been different if there were not a lot of competitors” and a relative clause in “the same amount of fuel you use in a flight.” The main meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Less people buying tickets represent less income” has problems with agreement and sentence construction, while “the businesses that stays working” has a subject–verb agreement error. There are also issues with articles and prepositions, as in “during the year” and “in a flight,” and the final sentence shifts awkwardly between singular and plural ideas. Review agreement and sentence patterns, and proofread punctuation and clause structure.

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