Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-14

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 this contemporary era, closing zoos have become a commonly witnessed phenomenon. It is presented for consideration that there is no longer a need to have animals kept in zoos, so zoos should be shut down. In my opinion, this is not a welcome suggestion, as it is very essential to keep animals in zoos for numerous reasons discussed below. However, If zoos get closed, it may lead to several negative consequences.

One major reason why I don't support this view is because there are a lot of endangered animals or species in today's world. It is significantly important to have these endangered species kept in zoos for future study or research. This can be attributed to further study about anatomy of endangered animals. A clear example of this is that educational institutions take their students to zoo city to make their knowledge span bigger about endangered species.

Another major reason is to protect certain species from hunting. The possible explanation to this is that hunting has been increased to a larger extent, So if we don't have animals kept in zoos, they will disappear from the earth as well. Additionally, there are numerous dangerous animals which are not safe for any human being, as they can harm people dangerously. So we can't keep these animals out of zoos. Moreover, there will be increase in jobs to some extent if we continue opening zoos. For intance, there are lot of people who work in zoos as a guide or a cleaner, so if we close zoos, they will lose their jobs.

In conclusion, zoos should not be shut down, as there is an essential need to have animals kept in zoos due to myriad of reasons.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you disagree with closing zoos, and you give several relevant reasons, including research, protection from hunting, public safety and employment. The examples about students visiting zoos and staff working as guides or cleaners help make the argument concrete. This addresses the task, but some points are less fully explained than others. For instance, you say zoos support research into endangered animals, but do not explain how this research contributes to conservation or why zoos are necessary for it. The claims about dangerous animals and jobs are also asserted rather than developed. To strengthen the response, explain the benefits and limitations of keeping animals in zoos and support each main reason with a clearer example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking phrases such as “One major reason,” “Additionally” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. However, progression within the second body paragraph is less controlled: protection from hunting, danger to humans and employment are grouped together without explaining how these points connect. Some transitions also feel mechanical, and the opening repeats the idea that zoos should close before giving your position. Organise each body paragraph around one central claim, then explain and illustrate it; use referencing and transitions to show relationships between ideas rather than simply adding another point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “endangered species,” “anatomy,” “hunting” and “consequences,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “presented for consideration” and “myriad of reasons.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise, including “commonly witnessed phenomenon,” “make their knowledge span bigger” and “harm people dangerously.” “Zoo city” is unclear in context, while “intance” is a spelling error. These choices limit precision and sometimes make the argument sound less natural. Aim for straightforward, accurate collocations—for example, say that visits “broaden students’ understanding”—and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional construction (“if we don't have animals kept in zoos, they will disappear”) and clauses introduced by “as” and “which.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation slips are present. For example, “there will be increase in jobs” is missing an article, and “there are lot of people” also needs “a.” The sentence beginning “One major reason why I don't support this view is because” uses an awkward structure; “One major reason I oppose this view is that…” would be more controlled. Capitalisation after commas is inconsistent in “However, If” and “extent, So.” Review articles, sentence boundaries and punctuation, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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