Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-03

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 years, keeping animals in the zoo has been a topic of considerable public debate. Some people argue that we no longer need to have animals kept in zoos, so zoos should be closed, while other contend that there is a need of zoo. Although both perspectives hold merit. I strongly disagree that because of many reasons which I'll explain in the essay.

To begin with, the primary reason I don't support this view is that zoo provides a single place for many different kind of animals to live and zoo is a perfect place to teach children about animals. This is attributed to children learn more visually and practically then on books and screens. Also, if we release all animals in the jungle how our children are supposed to learn about them. The prime example of this can be if there are no wild animal like loin or tiger in any zoo children cannot learn about them effectively. Consequently, zoo is perfect place for learning about different animals by seeing, touching and feeling them.

Another significant reason is that it also benefits economic growth. Furthermore, zoo also provide a place for research on the endangered animals . A good illustration of this is to look at the revenue the zoo generates each year and the researches on animals. As a result, it demonstrates why zoo are still significant in the society.

However, it would be irresponsible to overlook the importance of natural habitat of animals. Many animal species are endangered and facing extension. We should work on conservation efforts and raise awareness about wildlife importance. This proactive approach is considerably more effective than reactive approach that is closing the zoos. Nevertheless, government alone is unlikely to resolve the issue entirely. Therefore, an all-inclusive approach is required for this. However, this include education and awareness of animals rights and their life to achieve long lasting and meaningful improvements.

Taking everything into consideration, I have conclude that zoo plays an important role in the society and animals should kept in the zoos. We should not close the zoos as it will have a worse long term impact.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the educational and economic benefits of zoos, though some arguments are slightly under-developed. For instance, the claim that zoos provide a place for 'touching and feeling' animals is factually questionable and lacks nuance. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the development of ideas could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band. The conclusion is clear, though it repeats the prompt's language rather than synthesizing the main points effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Another significant reason', and 'Taking everything into consideration'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. There are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, particularly in the third paragraph where the transition between economic growth and research is abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, which helps the reader follow the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'endangered', 'conservation', and 'proactive approach'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'facing extension' (should be 'extinction') and 'there is a need of zoo' (should be 'a need for zoos'). The range is sufficient for the task, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'zoo provides', 'zoo are still significant') and article usage errors (e.g., 'in the zoo', 'on books'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing and sentence fragments like 'Although both perspectives hold merit.' These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammatical accuracy and sentence construction.

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

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