Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-01

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)

In the recent years world is extremely dependent on airtravel to commute. SOme people has decided to reduce their flights will go in the favour of environemntal benefits. By reducing the flights, the consumption of fuel will also get reduced and the climate will alos less burdenised by the release of carbon dioxide (CO2). Aerial animals will also get the pure air and freely can move around the sky. Cutting down the short haul trips will benefit in terms of reduced carbon footprints. Individuals prefer other transport alternatives for travelling such as the high speed trains, buses and other public transport. Global warming will definitely be mitigated as some of airports might be transformed into area to plant trees. Investments in other transport alternative would be increased and chances of employment might be raised and modification has been done to the several areas.

On the other hand, the disadvantage of reducing flights will highly impact individuals who want to skip the long routes to reach their destination and then to wait in queues at railway stations. Deadlines and commitments get delayed and it would limit the international market growth. It will also affect the global economy as the most of world's GDP relies on fast international airtravels. It would drastically drawn the tourism and hospitality. Local businesses also get influenced as they highly depend on international tourists. Hotels and Restraunts also reduced their staff which lead to the unemplpyment. Wastage of time would be the crucial aspect that caused by lessening the air commutes.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question by describing environmental gains, such as reduced fuel use and carbon emissions, and costs to tourism, local businesses, and employment. However, the response does not clearly answer the central question: whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The opening suggests that reducing flights benefits the environment, but there is no explicit overall judgement comparing that benefit with the economic and personal costs. Several points are also asserted rather than explained—for example, the claim that airports might become planting areas, and that reduced flying would affect GDP. To strengthen the response, state your position clearly and develop a few relevant points with specific explanations or examples, showing why one side is more significant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: the first paragraph presents environmental benefits, while the second turns to disadvantages. This makes the main contrast easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “also” help connect points. However, ideas within each paragraph sometimes appear as a list rather than a developed sequence. For instance, the first paragraph moves from fuel consumption to aerial animals, transport alternatives, airport planting, and employment without explaining the links between them. The second paragraph similarly shifts quickly from delays to GDP, tourism, and hotel staffing. Group related points and use clearer cause-and-effect links; this would make progression more logical and cohesion less dependent on repeated additive transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt topic-specific vocabulary, including “carbon dioxide,” “carbon footprints,” “international market,” and “global economy,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also some variety in expressions such as “short haul trips” and “public transport.” However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the meaning awkward or less precise: “airtravel,” “burdenised,” “drawn the tourism,” and “air commutes” are not natural choices in these contexts. Some phrases are also imprecise, such as “aerial animals” and “modification has been done to the several areas.” Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common collocations—for example, “reduce pressure on the climate” and “damage the tourism sector”—rather than relying on direct or unusual phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and some attempts at longer structures, including “By reducing the flights, the consumption of fuel will also get reduced” and the sentence beginning “Individuals prefer other transport alternatives.” However, the range is limited, and frequent errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction can make parts difficult to read. Examples include “Some people has decided,” “the most of world's GDP relies,” and “Hotels and Restraunts also reduced their staff which lead to the unemplpyment.” The final sentence, “Wastage of time would be the crucial aspect that caused by lessening the air commutes,” is also structurally unclear. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and complete clause patterns, then use a wider mix of controlled complex sentences.

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