Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-12

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 6.5)

It has always been a matter of debate whether we should keep animals in zoos or zoos should be closed. Releasing all the animals in natural habitat can cause extinction of many species because of habitat destruction, illegal hunting and global warming. I certainly agree with the concept of keeping animals in zoos, because it helps us in protecting endangered species.

The natural habitat of flora and fauna is getting destroyed by humans because of increasing urbanization and industrialization. This affects the food and life cycle of plants and animals and slowly leads to an extinction. Similarly, poaching and illegal hunting of animals for their skin and other parts is also at an alarming rate. For instance, in Kenya, more than 30 elephants are killed by poachers every year for their tusks. In order to save elephants from poachers, forest department cut their tusks at a young age. Moreover, pollution is also one of the major reasons for decline in many essential plant and animal species.

In my viewpoint, keeping animals in zoos is the best practice to save them from an extinction. Government should run an awareness campaigns to educate people regarding such vulnerable species of animals, so everyone could contribute in saving them. For example, in 2008, there were only 10 Bengal tigers left on earth, but with the proper conservation and planning of keeping them in constraint and restricted area changes those numbers to 128 in the year 2025.

To sum up, due to the increasingly urbanization and pollution, the risk of an extinction is high for both plant and animal species. Consequently, in order to save them, it is better to keep them in zoos with proper care and natural habitat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments regarding the role of zoos in conservation and protecting endangered species. The ideas are supported by examples, such as the mention of Bengal tigers and the situation in Kenya. However, the development of these ideas could be more nuanced; for instance, the argument about poaching is somewhat disconnected from the main point about zoos, and the claim that forest departments cut elephant tusks is factually questionable and lacks a clear link to the zoo argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that all examples directly support your central thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'Moreover', and 'In my viewpoint' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed theme. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the second paragraph's focus on poaching and the third paragraph's focus on zoo conservation could be smoother to enhance the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'urbanization', 'industrialization', 'endangered species', and 'conservation'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'keeping them in constraint' (should be 'confinement') and 'the increasingly urbanization' (should be 'increasing urbanization'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, these occasional errors and slightly awkward collocations prevent a higher score. Focusing on more precise word choices and natural collocations will help you convey your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('an extinction', 'the increasingly urbanization') and issues with verb tense or agreement ('changes those numbers' instead of 'changed'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where sentence structure could be more varied. To improve, focus on proofreading for article usage and ensuring consistent verb tenses when discussing past events versus general truths.

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