Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-30

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 5.0)

People have varied thoughts as to whether animals should be kept in zoos. Some believe that zoos should be closed and animals should live freely. I do not agree with this view.

Some people think that animals should not be confined in zoos. As they believe every animal just like humans have a right to live freely. So, all the zoos should shut down. This cannot be the case for all animals. Lions, for example, if we keep them open, they will destroy the surroundings and will be threat to general public. So all animals cannot be kept open. There are some dangerous animals like lions, tigers, leporads that needs to be confined in a particular place. This will help to keep the local community safe and also animals will be protected.

On other hand, it is essential for some animals to be kept in zoo. All the endangered animals are kept in zoos to preserve their last generation. For example, white tigers are a rare species. By preserving them in zoos, new generation will be able to learn about them.

In conclusion, not all animals should be let open. Having zoos is important for animals as it give them safe place to live.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You have addressed the prompt by stating a clear position that you disagree with the idea of closing all zoos. You provided some relevant examples, such as dangerous animals like lions and tigers, and the role of zoos in preserving endangered species like white tigers. However, your response has a significant shortcoming: it contains only 204 words, failing to meet the minimum requirement of 250 words. This under-length impacts your task achievement severely because your ideas are underdeveloped and the discussion lacks the depth and extension expected for a Band 6 or higher. To improve, ensure you fully expand your main points with detailed explanations and examples to comfortably surpass the word count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Your essay has a clear overall structure consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion, which shows basic organizational skills. You attempted to use cohesive devices such as 'For example', 'On other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal logical transitions. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the second paragraph contains multiple distinct ideas that should have been separated, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'keep them open'). Cohesive devices are at times basic or mechanically applied. To achieve a higher band score, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single central theme, use a wider variety of cohesive links smoothly, and maintain a clearer logical progression throughout your writing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate to convey basic ideas, using terms like 'endangered animals', 'preserve', and 'surroundings'. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and collocation. For instance, you wrote 'leporads' instead of leopards, and used phrases like 'let open' and 'keep them open' rather than 'let loose' or 'allowed to roam free'. Repetition of words such as 'animals', 'zoos', and 'open' also restricts your score. To improve your lexical resource, you should aim to incorporate less common vocabulary, learn correct collocations, and eliminate spelling mistakes by proofreading your work carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You demonstrated an attempt at a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional ideas ('if we keep them open, they will destroy...') and relative clauses. Nevertheless, your writing contains frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that affect readability. Examples include 'As they believe every animal just like humans have a right' (subject-verb agreement error), 'that needs to be confined' (plural agreement issue with 'animals'), and 'as it give them' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation and sentence fragmentation also need attention. To reach a higher band, focus on maintaining grammatical accuracy across both simple and complex sentences, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement and eliminating basic structural errors.

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

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