Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-22

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 7.0)

Some people believe that it is no longer neccesary to keep animals in zoos, therefore, zoos should be closed down. I totally disagree with this sentiment because zoological gardens help to preserve nature, enhance learning about wildlife and offer employment opportunities.

One of the main reasons why animals are kept in the zoo is to preserve endangered species. The existence of certain animals have been threatened by industralisation and other human activities. As a result, it becomes necessary to keep these species in the zoo to prevent extinction and ensure continued procreation. When zoos are shut down, these animals are left to wander around due to loss of their natural habitat or loss of their lives from hunting.

Secondly, zoological gardens offer educational purposes. Many individuals visit these sites to visualise and learn about different undomesticated animals such as lions, tigers, zebras, crocodiles, that they would not normally see in their immediate surroundings. Tour guides also inform visitors about the history, facts and unique features of various wild animals. Additionally, these zoos generate funds for the government because visitors are often made to pay entrace fees to view these animals. Therefore, total closure of these animal reserves could prevent students from experiencing these animals upclose and having a visual representation of what they've learnt from books.

Lastly, zoos provide job opportunities for tour guides, wildlife experts and researchers. When these animal parks are closed down, individuals who work in these facilities may be rendered jobless, which could increase the rate of unemployment in the society. Also, people who are interested in this aspect of nature could become unmotivated due to lack of animals to study or do a practical research on.

In conclusion, shutting down zoos could lead to extinction of some animals, lack of job opportunities, limited knowledge and loss of interest in wildlife.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you “totally disagree” with closing zoos, and the conclusion consistently reinforces this view. You address the question with three relevant reasons—species preservation, education, and employment—and support them with explanations, such as the threat of hunting and the learning value of seeing animals. This gives the response a developed, relevant argument. To make the case more convincing, qualify broad claims and develop the evidence further. For example, explain how well-managed conservation programmes help endangered species, rather than implying that animals generally need zoos to avoid extinction. The employment point is relevant but less fully connected to why zoos should remain open; linking jobs to the wider benefits of conservation and research would strengthen it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction states your position, three body paragraphs present separate reasons, and the conclusion summarises the argument. Sequencing phrases such as “One of the main reasons,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly” make the progression easy to follow, while “As a result” and “Therefore” show relationships between ideas. This is a strong, logical overall progression. At times, however, the linking is somewhat formulaic, and some sentences contain several related points at once. In the education paragraph, for instance, learning, tour guides, government revenue, and students’ experience are all included. Grouping these points more deliberately and using clearer references between sentences would make cohesion more flexible and less dependent on signposting phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “endangered species,” “natural habitat,” “wildlife,” “tour guides,” and “researchers.” Phrases such as “continued procreation” and “visual representation” show an attempt to use more formal and less common language. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “offer educational purposes” would be better expressed as “serve an educational purpose,” and “upclose” should be “up close.” There are also spelling errors, including “neccesary,” “industralisation,” and “entrace.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the precision and control expected at a stronger level. Prioritise accurate collocations and careful proofreading, especially for topic-specific terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “because visitors are often made to pay entrance fees” and conditional phrasing such as “When zoos are shut down.” Most ideas remain clear, and you handle several longer sentences successfully. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “The existence of certain animals have been threatened,” the singular subject “existence” requires “has.” The phrase “could prevent students from experiencing these animals … and having a visual representation” also has an awkward parallel structure; “from experiencing … and gaining a visual understanding” would be more balanced. Review agreement and parallel constructions, and check punctuation in longer sentences. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen this criterion.

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