Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-04

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)

In recent decades, there has been considerable debate about whether animals need to keep in zoos or its should be closed. In my opinion, I strongly agree with this statement that animals should be free to live and zoos should be banned.

One major reason why animals can live freely is that every animal has to live their life freely rather than in a cage like a prisoner. This is because they have to live their life according to their own needs and their preferred environment, not in the artificial environment which humans develop for them. For example, most zoos have reservation areas which are created by human beings for animals to live in. As a result, zoos should be closed because animals have to live their life in naturally developed areas.

Furthermore, another cause of this is that society uses the animals for entertainment purposes and to make money for these zoos. Since zoos are only purposed for public entertainment by showing different animals in zoos and benefit financially. For instance, zoos charge entry fees from visitors, so they can earn money from these. Not only do zoos benefit from this, but sometimes animals are also exploited by caretakers. Consequently, this behaviour of zoos can become harmful for animals, as they can be exploited by visitors.

In conclusion, I agree that animals have to live freely rather than just be kept in a cage like a prisoner. Because this affect their mental and ph

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

First, it must be noted that the response is five words short of the two hundred and fifty-word minimum length requirement, which negatively impacts task fulfilment. The response partially addresses the task by taking a clear position that zoos should be closed and animals should live freely. However, the ideas are limited and under-developed. For example, the writer mentions that animals live in cages like prisoners and that zoos are used for entertainment and profit, but these points are repeated rather than extended with well-developed supporting arguments or diverse examples. The response also trails off incomplete at the end due to the word count limit. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to fully develop each body paragraph with specific, detailed examples and ensure the minimum length is met.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance stated in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct introduction, body, and concluding sections. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Furthermore,' 'For instance,' and 'Consequently.' However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the way sentences are linked back to the core argument about animals living freely. Additionally, the abrupt ending of the essay affects the overall logical progression. To achieve a higher band, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive relationships more naturally and ensure all paragraphs flow smoothly into one another without relying on repetitive transitional phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'considerable debate,' 'artificial environment,' and 'entertainment purposes.' However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that cause some difficulty for the reader, such as 'animals need to keep in zoos' instead of 'be kept' and 'purposed for public entertainment.' Word formation issues also appear, such as 'benefit financially' used awkwardly alongside other verbs. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the limited control of less common vocabulary prevents the response from achieving a higher band. To improve, the writer should focus on precise word choice, accurate word forms, and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including passive voice errors ('animals need to keep in zoos'), subject-verb agreement issues ('or its should be closed'), and prepositional errors ('charge entry fees from visitors'). These frequent errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader in following the exact meaning. To progress to a higher band, the writer needs to increase the variety of complex sentence structures and improve grammatical accuracy, particularly regarding verb patterns, articles, and prepositions.

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

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