Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-08

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 5.5)

It is undeniable that kids love to watch animals at the zoo. However, it is harsh for animals to stay in the zoo. Some people argue that we no longer need to have animals kept in the zoo. Therefore, zoos should be closed. I completely agree with this notion, and I will explain my reasons behind it in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, there are numerous reasons that zoos need to be closed. The first and foremost reason is cruelty on animals. On other words, most of animals are kept in small place till they die and most of their lives are being spent in a small cage. We, humans, do not have rights to make animals locked at zoo forever. In fact, several animals are kept alone and we do not know how much pain they would feel.

Another reason is that in order to make zoo famous, sometimes people bring animals forcibly from the jungle where they are living with their families. Hence, animals should have right to live freely. Although some people are making a zoo such way that it will feel like their home. For example, Vantara is vast land with forest specially made for the elephants. Here, elephants are feeling more home.

To conclude, animals are as equal as we, human, are and we should close zoo and let animals live their lives freely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of closing zoos. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas regarding animal cruelty and the forced removal of animals from their habitats are relevant, they are not fully developed. The example of 'Vantara' is a good attempt at support, but the overall lack of length prevents a more thorough exploration of the topic, resulting in a superficial treatment of the issues.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In fact', and 'To conclude'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions are awkward, such as 'On other words' instead of 'In other words'. The progression of ideas is clear, but the limited length makes the overall structure feel somewhat underdeveloped.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of unnatural phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'cruelty on animals' (should be 'cruelty to animals') and 'make animals locked' (should be 'keep animals locked'). The student relies on simple, repetitive language, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while not always impeding communication, are noticeable. Examples include 'most of animals' (missing 'the'), 'animals should have right' (missing 'the'), and 'animals are as equal as we, human, are' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but the recurring errors in articles and prepositions limit the score.

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

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