Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-08
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)
Recently, there has been a discussion about whether zoos should be closed down or not, since the need to keep animals in zoos are no longer needed. I strongly disagree, with this idea has keeping animals in zoo has prevented them from going into extinction and has also contributed to the availability of food. In my opinion, the zoos should keep functioning as it will benefit both the animal and society.
On the one hand, one of my reasons for disagreeing with this trend is that the zoos have prevented animals from going into extinction. animals like the lion and monkey would have been long time forgotten if not for the availability of the zoos. For example, the zoos in Nigeria have helped to keep animals like tortoise and giraffe which would have been long time forgotten. Therefore, zoos have helped to prevent the lost of many animals.
On the other hand, zoos around the world have also contributed to the availability of food. this is because the zoo has helped in the reproduction of many animals so while the oldest one is taking out for the purpose consumption, the younger one will keep producing animals for food. For instance, it is only in the zoos in Nigeria that you can get tortoise meat. Furthermore, the zoo has helped to strengthen the availability of food.
In conclusion, the zoo should not be locked down as it has helped to prevent the lost of many animals, and has also contributed to the availability of food.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against closing zoos. However, the development of ideas is problematic. The argument regarding food production—specifically the claim that zoos exist to provide meat—is factually questionable and lacks logical depth, which weakens the overall persuasiveness of the essay. While the essay covers the required parts of the task, the arguments are somewhat simplistic and rely on assertions that are not well-supported by general knowledge. To reach a higher band, you should focus on more conventional arguments, such as conservation, education, and scientific research, and provide more detailed explanations for your claims.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a basic logical progression from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'with this idea has keeping animals in zoo has prevented them'. The flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, and the paragraphing, while present, could be improved by ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed main idea.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'long time forgotten' and 'availability of food'. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'locked down' instead of 'closed down' or 'shut down', and 'lost' instead of 'loss'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the occasional misuse of words limit the score. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to wildlife conservation and animal welfare.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'the need to keep animals in zoos are no longer needed' contains a subject-verb agreement error. There are also issues with punctuation and capitalization, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters ('animals like the lion...', 'this is because...'). While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors, particularly with articles and verb forms, prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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