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 people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether to maximise the enviromental benefits. In my opinion, i dont think so through this develpoment the enviromental benefits outweigh the disadvantges for people and businesses.

Reducing air travel may have several positive enviromental effects and it may help to maintain the air quality. Aircrafts release a large amount of carbon emission which is one of the causes of air pollution. It may also help to decline the noise pollution level. For example, people chose to travel through trains instead of airplanes especially for domestic travel can reduce their carbon footprint. Through this development, people can contribute to a better and healthy enviroment.

On the other hand, this type of practice would be less convenient for the indiviuals living abroad. International flights helps individuals to meet their families and loved one's. Traveling by road or train would take alot of time and cause alot of negative concequences. Business deals usually happen face to face to establish a better relationship between companies and organizations. Reducing number of flights may results in less business development as well as growth. For example, foreigners usually travel by plane to visit other countries to explore culture and people, reducing flight travels may result in unemployment of individuals who are directly linked with hospitality and tourism.

Although, reducing flights may result in enviroment benefits but completely

avoiding air travel may have more disadvantges. Finding a middle way is a better option here. Reducing domestic flights may result in enviromental benefits. Everyone should realise and make sure to reduce their unnecessary air travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you argue that the disadvantages for individuals and businesses outweigh the environmental gains, and you address both sides of the question. The points about lower emissions and noise, family visits, face-to-face business, and tourism are relevant. However, some ideas are more fully explained than others. The environmental paragraph gives a general example of choosing trains, while the business and tourism points would benefit from clearer explanation of how reduced flights affect companies and workers. Your conclusion proposes reducing unnecessary domestic flights, but could connect this compromise more explicitly to your overall judgement about whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on environmental benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the broad argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and linking is repetitive or awkward. For example, “Through this development” is used to connect ideas without showing their precise relationship, while “Although” begins the conclusion but does not form a complete contrast with the following clause. The tourism example also shifts from the effect on travellers to unemployment without fully explaining the link. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example directly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “carbon emission,” “noise pollution,” “face to face,” and “business development,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific expressions such as “carbon footprint” and “hospitality and tourism.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural word combinations are noticeable, including “enviromental,” “decline the noise pollution level,” and “negative concequences.” Some wording is also repetitive, particularly “reducing flights” and “development.” Improve accuracy by checking spelling and choosing more natural collocations; this will make your argument clearer and more precise without changing its meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional example beginning “For example, people chose to travel through trains…” and a concession in the conclusion. Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For instance, “International flights helps” should use a plural verb, and “Reducing number of flights may results” has problems with both the article and verb form. The opening opinion sentence is also difficult to parse because its clauses are not joined clearly. Practise building accurate complex sentences and check subject–verb agreement and verb forms, while retaining the range of structures you are attempting.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.