Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-09

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 6.0)

In the contemporary era, there is increasing debate about whether wild animals should continue to be kept in zoos. Some others argue that zoos are no longer necessary and should therefore be closed. I largely agree with this view because wild animals in captivity may negatively affect on animals well-being, while protect natural habitats can provide more alternatives.

To begin with, zoos can affect wild animals physical as well as psychological behaviour. Unlike domestic animals, some large species need more territory to move freely, hunt and interact with others. Zoos are provide limited areas to explore. As a result, animals may experience stress, boredom and unnatural behaviour. For example, elephants naturally travel long distance in search of food and water, which is difficult in zoos enclosure. Therefore, keeping animals may intercepting them from living naturally.

Furthermore, zoos are not only way to educate people and protect endangered animals. Governments should more invest in national parks, wildlife reserves, conservation programmes, where animals can be protected in their natural environment. In addition, documentaries and digital technology allow people to learn about wildlife without keeping animals in cages. For instance, wildlife documentaries can show the natural behaviour of rare species to millions of people in the world. This can increase people awareness while avoiding unnecessary captivity.

To conclude, I agree that zoos can affect wild animals physical and psychological problems, while government should invest in wildlife reserves, where animals can be protected from dangerous animals, also they can live in natural environment. People should use documentaries or digital technology to get information about behaviour of rare species.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The arguments regarding animal welfare and the availability of alternative educational methods are relevant and logically developed. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about 'protecting natural habitats' could have been expanded with more specific detail on how this functions as a viable alternative to zoos. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, though it introduces a slightly repetitive argument about 'dangerous animals' which was not previously mentioned. Overall, the response meets the requirements of the task well, providing a clear, supported argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some referencing is a bit repetitive. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Despite these minor issues, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'captivity', 'endangered animals', and 'conservation programmes'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'negatively affect on animals well-being' (should be 'negatively affect animal well-being') and 'intercepting them from living' (should be 'preventing them from living'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score. A wider range of sophisticated vocabulary would improve the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and prepositions, such as 'Zoos are provide limited areas' and 'protect natural habitats can provide'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization, such as 'increase people awareness' instead of 'increase people's awareness'. These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede the reader's understanding of the main arguments. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs.

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