Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-09

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 generally assumed that animals are not required to keep in the zoo so they should be closed permanently. I completely disagree with this notion because zoos not only promote interest to watch animals physically but also increase geographical knowledge among people especially children.

The main reason why it is believed that zoos are now less significant because people are less likely to visit these places due to their busy schedules. For example, individuals as well as children spend more time on social media instead of doing physical visit to informative and historical places.Consequently, the need of such places is reduced. Neverthless, it does not mean that the zoos should be closed rather it should be promoted by some advertisement.

The predominant reason why animals should be kept in zoos is that they provide an opportunity to visualize a wide range of animals at one place. For example, if children visit a zoo it can provide the picturesque view of different animals, where they can enjoy watching the animals eating, playing and doing other activities. As a result, They not only develop their cognitive skills but also acquire knowledge and entertainment. Furthermore, excessive interest in learning about nature and its creations develop critical thinking skills among individuals.

Moreover it can be an opportunity to spend quality time with family by travelling to explore the zoo with variety of animals. For instance, instead of consuming excessive time on screens especialy on weekends it is more beneficial to plan some tour to the zoo to learn and explore. Most of the people enjoy such type of activities as a picnic and consequently they feel relaxed.

In conclusion, although zoos are not excessively crowded nowadays due to people's busy schedule, they should not be closed because their long term benefits cannot be overlooked.They provide individuals with various visual and informative benefits such as exploring thorough entertainment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the opening: you “completely disagree” with closing zoos, and the conclusion returns to this view. You give relevant reasons, especially that zoos let children observe animals and learn about them, and that visits can provide family recreation. These points address the question and are supported with examples. However, the response focuses mainly on educational and entertainment benefits; it does not explain in depth why keeping animals in zoos is necessary or address concerns such as animal welfare and conservation. The point about busy schedules and reduced attendance is also less directly connected to whether zoos should close. Develop the strongest reasons further and make the link to your position explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate body paragraphs and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress from reduced attendance to the benefits of zoo visits, and signposts such as “For example,” “Furthermore” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The first body paragraph begins by explaining why people think zoos are less significant, but the shift to promoting zoos is abrupt. The second and third body paragraphs also repeat the benefits of visiting without clearly distinguishing their main purposes. Referencing in “it should be promoted” is unclear because “it” could refer to a zoo or the idea of visiting. Use clearer topic sentences and link each example directly to its paragraph’s central claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “cognitive skills,” “critical thinking skills,” “visualize” and “quality time,” which helps communicate educational and recreational benefits. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “predominant reason” and “cannot be overlooked.” However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, including “promote interest to watch animals physically,” “doing physical visit” and “the picturesque view of different animals.” Spelling errors such as “Neverthless” and “especialy” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations and precise wording—for example, say that zoos “allow visitors to observe animals in person” and “offer a close-up view of a variety of species.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a concession introduced by “although.” Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “animals are not required to keep in the zoo” has an incorrect passive construction, while “the need of such places is reduced” uses an awkward grammatical pattern. There are also agreement and sentence-boundary problems: “excessive interest … develop” should have a singular verb, and “As a result, They” incorrectly capitalises the pronoun after a comma. Review articles, prepositions and subject–verb agreement, and check punctuation and capitalisation when editing. More accurate complex sentences would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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