Cambridge IELTS 20 Test 3 Writing Task 2: Flying Less
Cambridge IELTS 20 · Test 3 · Academic Writing Task 2Advantages and disadvantagesEnvironment
The question describes a trend in which some people are flying less often each year or have given up flying completely. Candidates must decide whether the environmental benefits of this development outweigh its disadvantages for individuals and businesses, giving reasons and examples.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: 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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How to read the question
- This is an outweigh question: you must weigh the environmental benefits against the disadvantages and state clearly which side is greater, not simply list advantages and disadvantages.
- The two sides are specific: on one side, environmental benefits; on the other, disadvantages for individuals and businesses. Discuss both before reaching your verdict.
- Disadvantages for individuals might include longer journeys, fewer holidays abroad and less contact with family overseas; for businesses, they include fewer face-to-face meetings and lost income for airlines and tourism.
- The topic is a development that is already happening among some people, not a government ban on flying, so avoid writing as if all air travel were being prohibited.
- Your position must be stated in the introduction and repeated in the conclusion. A balanced essay that never says which side is greater will lose marks for Task Response.
- Avoid general essays about climate change or the history of aviation; every point should relate to the effects of people choosing to fly less.
Suggested position
Although flying less can be inconvenient for individuals and costly for some businesses, I believe the environmental benefits clearly outweigh these drawbacks, because most of the disadvantages can be reduced by alternatives such as rail travel and video conferencing, whereas the damage caused by aviation emissions cannot easily be reversed.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the trend of people flying less or not at all, and state your position: the environmental benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
- 2
Body paragraph 1: the disadvantages for individuals and businesses
Acknowledge the costs: longer, sometimes more expensive journeys by train, fewer opportunities to travel abroad or visit family overseas, fewer face-to-face business meetings, and lost revenue for airlines and tourist destinations that depend on visitors.
- 3
Body paragraph 2: why the environmental benefits are greater
Explain that a single long-haul flight can produce more carbon emissions per passenger than many people produce in a year of driving, so flying less is one of the most effective personal choices. Argue that the disadvantages can be reduced by night trains, high-speed rail and video calls, while climate damage is long-lasting and affects everyone.
- 4
Conclusion
Restate that the environmental gains outweigh the disadvantages, and add that the costs to individuals and businesses are real but largely manageable.
Ideas and arguments
- Aviation is a significant and fast-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, and a single long-haul return flight can account for a large part of an individual's annual carbon footprint.
- Flying less reduces emissions immediately, whereas cleaner aircraft technology is still many years away.
- Individuals who stop flying may lose the chance to visit relatives abroad, take holidays in distant countries or attend important events.
- Rail journeys are often slower and, in some countries, more expensive than budget flights.
- Businesses may find it harder to meet overseas clients, attend trade fairs or build trust face to face.
- Airlines, airports and tourism-dependent regions may lose income and jobs.
- Video conferencing has shown that many business meetings can take place online at a fraction of the cost and time.
- High-speed rail and night trains, such as those in Europe, offer a realistic alternative for many short and medium-length journeys.
Band 8+ model answer
300 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
A growing number of people are choosing to take fewer flights each year, and some have given up air travel entirely. Although this trend undoubtedly creates difficulties for individuals and businesses, I believe its environmental benefits clearly outweigh these drawbacks.
Admittedly, flying less comes at a cost. For individuals, travelling by land is usually much slower and, in some countries, more expensive than a budget flight, and for those whose relatives live on another continent, giving up flying may mean seeing them far less often. Businesses face problems too. Face-to-face meetings remain important for building trust with overseas clients, and companies that cannot send staff to international trade fairs may miss valuable opportunities. Meanwhile, airlines and regions that depend heavily on tourism would lose revenue and jobs if this trend spread widely.
Nevertheless, these disadvantages are largely manageable, whereas the environmental damage caused by aviation is not. A single long-haul return flight can produce more carbon dioxide per passenger than many people generate through a whole year of driving, so flying less is one of the most effective ways for an individual to reduce their carbon footprint. Moreover, cleaner aircraft are still many years away from widespread use, which means that reducing the number of flights is currently the only immediate solution. At the same time, many of the costs can be reduced. High-speed rail and night trains, such as those that now link many European cities, make journeys of several hundred kilometres practical, and the widespread use of video conferencing has shown that numerous business meetings can take place online at a fraction of the cost.
In conclusion, while flying less involves real sacrifices, these can often be eased by alternatives, whereas climate change threatens everyone. For this reason, I consider the environmental gains to be far more significant.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Response
- The essay fully addresses both sides named in the question, disadvantages for individuals and for businesses as well as environmental benefits, and gives a clear, consistent verdict that the benefits outweigh the costs.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- The essay concedes the disadvantages first and then explains why the benefits are greater, creating a logical progression towards the conclusion, with linking such as admittedly, nevertheless and more importantly.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise topic vocabulary such as carbon footprint, long-haul flight, tourism-dependent and video conferencing is used naturally, and outweigh and disadvantages are paraphrased to avoid repetition.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The essay uses comparative structures, concessive clauses, passive forms and relative clauses accurately, with varied sentence lengths and no noticeable errors.
Useful vocabulary
- air travel
- travelling by plane
- carbon footprint
- the amount of carbon dioxide produced by a person's activities
- greenhouse gas emissions
- gases released into the air that cause global warming
- long-haul flight
- a flight that travels a very long distance, usually between continents
- outweigh
- be greater or more important than something else
- drawbacks
- disadvantages or problems
- face-to-face meetings
- meetings where people are physically in the same place
- video conferencing
- holding meetings online using video and audio
- high-speed rail
- train services that travel much faster than ordinary trains
- tourism-dependent
- relying heavily on money from tourists
- lost revenue
- income that a business no longer receives
- irreversible damage
- harm that cannot be undone
- a fraction of the cost
- a very small part of the usual price
Common mistakes
- Listing advantages and disadvantages without ever stating which side outweighs the other, which is what the question asks.
- Discussing only environmental benefits and ignoring the disadvantages for individuals and businesses, or the reverse.
- Writing as if governments had banned flying, when the question describes people choosing to fly less.
- Using invented or exaggerated statistics about aviation emissions instead of reasoned, general claims.
- Writing a general essay about climate change or pollution without linking it to the decision to fly less.
- Changing position between the introduction and the conclusion, for example starting with benefits outweigh and ending with it depends.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This question about whether the environmental benefits of flying less outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses is Writing Task 2 of Test 3 in Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic.
- How should I answer an outweigh question?
- Discuss both sides, then state clearly which is greater and why. Your verdict should appear in the introduction and be repeated in the conclusion.
- Can I argue that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits?
- Yes. Either position is acceptable if it is clear, consistent and well supported, for example by focusing on the economic impact on tourism-dependent regions.
- How many words should I write for this Task 2?
- Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is usually enough to weigh both sides properly in 40 minutes.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.