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Cambridge 20 Writing Task 2 Test 3 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)
Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The Prompt
Reducing Air Travel - Environmental Benefits vs Costs
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.
Write at least 250 words.
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284 wordsDoesn't just pick a side: it explains the reasoning behind the weighing, which is what "outweigh" questions are actually asking for.
A growing number of people are choosing to fly less often, or not at all, largely out of concern for the environment. While this shift undeniably creates real difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe the environmental gains are significant enough to outweigh them.
Aviation is one of the most carbon-intensive forms of transport per passenger-kilometre, and its emissions are particularly harmful because they are released directly into the upper atmosphere, where their warming effect is amplified. A single long-haul return flight can produce more carbon dioxide than an average car does in an entire year. When large numbers of people cut back on flying, the cumulative reduction in emissions is substantial, and the shift also sends a market signal that pressures airlines and governments to invest more seriously in cleaner aviation technology and alternatives such as high-speed rail.
That said, the costs of this trend are far from trivial. For individuals, particularly those with family scattered across continents or working in international careers, flying less can mean months without seeing loved ones or missing career-advancing opportunities that require travel. Businesses that depend on face-to-face relationships, such as those in tourism, hospitality, or international trade, can suffer real financial losses when travel declines, with knock-on effects for employees whose jobs depend on those industries.
Weighing these considerations, I still lean towards viewing the environmental benefits as the more pressing concern. The disadvantages, while genuine, are largely adaptable: video conferencing can substitute for many business trips, and rail alternatives exist for shorter journeys. Climate change, by contrast, produces damage that becomes increasingly difficult to reverse the longer meaningful action is delayed. On that basis, encouraging reduced flying seems a reasonable trade-off despite its real costs.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Weighs both sides explicitly before reaching a clear, justified conclusion that directly answers whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, rather than just listing pros and cons. The closing paragraph explains *why* the benefits win (the reversibility of the alternatives versus the irreversibility of climate damage), which is genuine critical reasoning rather than a restated opinion.
Coherence & Cohesion: Four purposeful paragraphs with a clear "that said" pivot and a final paragraph that synthesises the argument rather than just restating it.
Lexical Resource: Precise, topic-specific vocabulary ("carbon-intensive", "cumulative reduction", "knock-on effects") used accurately throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of complex structures (relative clauses, contrast markers, varied clause order) used with full control.
Band 8
280 wordsReaches the right conclusion with solid support, just without the extra layer of reasoning that separates it from band 9.
More and more people are deciding to fly less often, or to stop flying completely, mainly because they are worried about the environment. Although this change does cause real problems for individuals and businesses, I believe the environmental benefits are bigger than these disadvantages.
Flying produces a large amount of carbon dioxide compared to other forms of transport, and because planes release these emissions high in the atmosphere, the effect on global warming is even worse. A single long flight can create more carbon dioxide than a car produces in a whole year. When many people choose to fly less, the total reduction in emissions can be significant, and it also puts pressure on airlines and governments to develop cleaner technology and other options like high-speed trains.
However, the disadvantages of this trend are also important. For individuals, especially those with family living in other countries or people whose jobs need international travel, flying less can mean not seeing family for a long time or losing chances that are important for their career. Businesses that rely on travel, such as tourism or international trade companies, can also lose a lot of money if fewer people fly, which can affect the jobs of many workers in these industries.
Considering everything, I still think the environmental benefits are more important than these disadvantages. Many of the problems caused by flying less can be solved in other ways, for example using video calls instead of business trips or taking trains for shorter journeys. But the damage caused by climate change becomes harder to fix the longer we wait, so I believe reducing flying is a reasonable choice even though it has real costs.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Weighs both sides and reaches a clear conclusion; the reasoning for why environmental benefits outweigh the costs is present but less developed than the band 9 answer, which explains the reversibility argument more explicitly.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clear paragraphing and accurate linking ("However", "Considering everything").
Lexical Resource: Wide vocabulary with good control, occasionally less precise than band 9 ("bigger than" instead of "outweigh").
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures with rare minor slips.
Band 7
258 wordsThe right conclusion is there, but it's stated rather than argued for.
Nowadays, more people are choosing to fly less or stop flying at all because they worry about the environment. Even though this brings some problems for people and companies, I think the good things for the environment are more important than the bad things.
Planes produce a lot of carbon dioxide compared to other transport, and because this is released high in the sky, it makes global warming worse. One long flight can make more carbon dioxide than a car in one whole year. If many people fly less, the total amount of pollution can go down a lot, and it can also make airlines and governments try harder to make cleaner planes or other transport like fast trains.
But there are also disadvantages for people who stop flying so much. For someone with family in another country, or for people who need to travel for their job, flying less can mean missing their family for long time or losing important chances at work. Companies that need travel, like tourism business, can also lose money if less people fly, and this can affect many workers who work in this industry.
In my opinion, even with these problems, the environment benefit is still more important. Many problem from flying less can be fixed another way, like using video call instead of travel for business, or taking train for short trip. But damage to environment become harder to fix if we wait too long, so I think it is better choice to fly less even if it have some cost.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Both sides are addressed and a position is given, but the concluding judgement ("it is better choice to fly less even if it have some cost") is asserted rather than fully justified the way the band 8/9 answers explain it.
Coherence & Cohesion: Logical order is maintained; cohesion relies on simpler connectors ("But", "In my opinion") used accurately but without much variety.
Lexical Resource: Adequate range with some imprecision ("worry about" repeated, "good things"/"bad things" instead of more specific terms).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally good control mixed with basic errors like subject-verb agreement ("if it have some cost").
Band 6.5
254 wordsBoth sides are covered, but the reasoning stays at the level of assertion rather than explanation, and verb endings are dropped throughout.
Nowadays more people choose to fly less or stop fly completely because they worry about environment. This choice usually come from real worry about climate change, not just from personal preference. Even this bring some problem for people and company, I think good thing for environment is more important than bad thing.
Plane produce lot of carbon dioxide compare to other transport, and because this release high in sky, it make global warming more worse. One long flight can make more carbon dioxide than car make in whole year. If many people fly less, total pollution amount can go down a lot, and it also can make airline and government try harder to make clean plane or other transport like fast train.
But there is also disadvantage for people who stop flying so much. For someone who have family in other country, or people who need travel for job, fly less can mean they miss family for long time or lose important chance in work. Company that need travel, like tourism business, also can lose money if less people fly, and this can effect many worker who work in this business.
In my opinion, even with this problem, environment benefit still more important. Many problem from fly less can fix another way, like use video call instead travel for business, or take train for short trip. But damage to environment become more hard to fix if we wait too long, so I think it better choice to fly less even it have some cost.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Covers both sides and gives an opinion, but explanations stay thin ("this is bad for environment very much" is the level of most of the reasoning) rather than being developed with specific support.
Coherence & Cohesion: Order follows the two-sided structure, but cohesion is repetitive and some referencing is unclear ("it also can make airline and government try harder": the link back to the previous sentence isn't fully spelled out).
Lexical Resource: Limited range with frequent word-form errors ("compare to" instead of "compared to", "effect" instead of "affect").
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent grammatical errors, missing third-person "-s" and "-ed" endings throughout ("plane produce", "if it have"), noticeable but meaning is generally clear.
Band 4-5 - What to Avoid
145 wordsPicks a side but never actually weighs it against the other: which is the one thing this question is asking for.
Now many people decide fly less or not fly again because they care about environment. This have some problem for people and company but I think is good for environment.
Plane make lot of pollution. This is bad for environment very much. If people fly less, pollution become less too, this is good thing for everyone in world.
But not fly also have problem. Some people have family in other country, they cannot see family if not fly. Business also have problem, tourism company lose money if people not travel by plane anymore.
Maybe people can use other transport like train, or use video call for meeting instead of flying somewhere. This can help reduce problem a little bit.
In conclusion I think environment is more important than money problem, so I agree people should fly less even if it make some difficulty for them.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: States a position but barely explains it: sentences like "This is bad for environment very much" assert a claim without supporting reasoning, and the essay never directly weighs the two sides against each other the way the question's "outweigh" actually asks. At 145 words it is well under the 250-word minimum.
Coherence & Cohesion: Ideas are listed in short, disconnected sentences ("Plane make lot of pollution. This is bad for environment very much.") rather than built into a developed argument.
Lexical Resource: Very basic, repetitive vocabulary ("bad", "good", "problem") with little evidence of range.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent basic errors (missing third-person "-s": "Plane make", "pollution become") that would need correcting before development or vocabulary could even be properly assessed.
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