Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-26

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 5.5)

It is argued that there should be no conservation areas to protect and preserve the habitat. However, I strongly disagree with the statement as the consequences of no zoos will result in declining number of endangered species from the planet earth.

Conservation areas are often seen as a burden to some communities regardless of their importance. For example, these designated areas protect the endangered species from getting extinct. Moreover, they preserve the habitat by controlling the climatic conditions in order to increase the number of extinct species.

There has been a number of debates discussing the merits of conservation area. For example, majority of animals are placed in the zoos to protect them in a naturally build habitat. However, some people believe that it is a financial hub for the higher authorities but individuals often forget the benefits an animal receives while staying in such places.

Furthermore, zoos provide artificial habitat to species but also an opportunity to the world to know the animals more closely. For example, schools, families and college groups usually visits the zoo for sight seeing and for research papers based on the animals. If these habitats are closed, it will affect the individuals more than the animals residing there as they might be shifted to natural environment for survival. Hence, there will be no place left to observe the animal for educational purposes.

To sum up, there is an urgent need to save the habitat of all the organisms as they ensures the safety of all the endangered species and the the ones that are on the verge of getting extinct. Therefore, abolishing the zoos is an uncertain demand which should not be approved by the higher authorities or environmentalists and many more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have clearly stated your position against closing zoos and maintained it throughout the essay. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, you mention that zoos 'control the climatic conditions' to increase species numbers, which is a vague and scientifically questionable claim. Additionally, your argument about zoos being a 'financial hub' is introduced but not effectively countered or explored. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, logical examples or evidence to support your claims, rather than relying on general statements. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and introduces new, slightly irrelevant phrasing like 'environmentalists and many more'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'To sum up' to link ideas. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak. For example, in the second paragraph, the jump from 'burden to communities' to 'protecting species from extinction' lacks a smooth transition. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'they' in the final paragraph, which could refer to either the habitats or the organisms. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'endangered species', 'conservation areas', and 'residing'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, you use 'naturally build habitat' (should be 'naturally built' or 'natural habitat') and 'uncertain demand' (which does not fit the context of a policy decision). There is also a slight repetition of basic vocabulary. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate to convey your arguments more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there has been a number of debates', 'they ensures the safety') and article usage (e.g., 'from the planet earth', 'the the ones'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent. To achieve a higher score, focus on proofreading for basic agreement errors and try to use a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, with greater accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.