Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

We no longer need to have animals kept in zoos, so zoos should be closed.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

It is argued, whether zoos should be kept open or closed. Some people claim them to be necessary, mainly because of educational purposes, while others say that all the infromation can be found online. I disagree that zoos should be closed.

On one side, people can see animals in real life. They can see how they move, what sounds they make, how they interact with other animals, sometimes even what and how they eat. Seeing something with your own eyes can create bigger bond with animals. For example, when a kid sees an animal in the zoo, the excitement and happyness of seeing the animal is not the same as seeing it on the video. Additionally, it creates unforgettable memories. Usually, real-life experience stays in your memory longer.

Furthermore, zoos are necessary as shelters. Some animals need a place to live in, when it is no longer possible in the wild. There are several reasons for this, for example decreasing food sources or deforestation. Lots of spieces go distinct for this reason. For example Tasmanian devil, whose life expectancy in the wild is only 5 year. When kept in the captivity, it can be up to 8 years. Keeping the animals in the captivity, reduces the possibility of distinction.

In conclusion, I believe that zoos should be kept open because they are not necessary only for humans, but for animals as well. Zoos are necessary, not onyl for education, but they create homes for animals as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction—“I disagree that zoos should be closed”—and remains consistent in the conclusion. You give two relevant reasons: visitors can observe animals directly, and zoos can provide shelter when habitats or food sources are threatened. The examples of children’s experiences and the Tasmanian devil help make these points concrete. However, the educational argument is developed more through description than explanation, and the shelter argument would benefit from clarifying how zoos protect species and when captivity is appropriate. The claim that many species “go distinct” is also not explained or supported. The response is 247 words, three words below the required minimum. Develop the reasoning and examples further while ensuring the response meets the task’s length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting supporting reasons, and a conclusion. The progression from visitors’ direct experience to animal protection is logical, and signposts such as “Furthermore” and “In conclusion” make the organisation easy to follow. This already gives the essay a coherent framework. To make the flow more flexible and polished, avoid relying on formulaic transitions such as “On one side,” and connect each example more explicitly to the claim it supports. For instance, explain how observing animals in person contributes to learning, rather than moving quickly from observation to memories. The repeated use of “necessary” in the conclusion also makes the ending less smooth; a concise summary of the two distinct benefits would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “educational purposes,” “deforestation,” “food sources,” and “life expectancy.” These choices help communicate both the human and animal-related arguments. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “infromation,” “happyness,” “spieces,” “distinct,” “distinction,” and “onyl.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “create bigger bond” and “go distinct.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main position, but they limit the accuracy and flexibility expected at this level. Proofread carefully and learn topic-specific collocations so that your vocabulary sounds natural as well as relevant.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more developed structures, including the relative clause “Tasmanian devil, whose life expectancy…” and the conditional phrase “when it is no longer possible in the wild.” Most ideas remain understandable, and the errors rarely obstruct the message. Some grammatical patterns need more control: “It is argued, whether” has an unnecessary comma and an awkward clause structure; “a place to live in, when” also has an unnecessary comma. In “a bigger bond” and “5 year,” article and plural forms need attention, while “when kept in the captivity” has an incorrect article pattern. Practise checking articles, plurals, and punctuation, and vary sentence structures while keeping them accurate.

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

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