Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-11

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)

We no longer need to have animals kept in zoos ,so zoos should be closed. I disagree with this statement as zoos protect endangered animals and provide important research data.

Firstly , the animals who are kept in zoo get high quality diet tailored to their needs. As opposed to an wild animal in its habitat may starve to death if it cannot catch its prey. Moreover the animals in zoo are given vaccines which prevent them from diseases. In addition to that it gives us important data about the animal in order to learn about their diet, environment and what diseases is affecting them.

Secondly , it helps endangered animals who are on the verge of extinction to be sheltered and protected from any outside threats. Moreover, keeping endangered animal in the zoo allows researchers to repopulate the endangered animals population. In addition to that it also spreads awareness about such endangered animals and teaches visitors of the zoo about such species. Zoo keepers also travel around the world to other zoos to spread the techniques they have learned over the years on how to handle animals and how to protect them from threats.

Once, the endangered animals population is stable it is released back into its natural habitat.

In conclusion, animals kept in zoos are often treated well and are protected from predators who are endangering the population of the species. Moreover, the animals are released back into the wild once their population is at a stable level and are protected from diseases that was affecting them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a disagreement with the closure of zoos. The main arguments—animal protection, research, and conservation—are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the points about 'endangered animals' are mentioned in both the second and third paragraphs without significant new depth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more specific examples or explore the counter-arguments more thoroughly to demonstrate a more nuanced understanding of the topic. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments could be more varied and detailed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'In addition to that' to link ideas. However, some of these transitions feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'In addition to that'. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is mostly clear, though some phrasing, such as 'the animals who are kept in zoo', lacks appropriate articles, which slightly disrupts the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'endangered', 'extinction', and 'repopulate'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'what diseases is affecting them' (should be 'are') and 'an wild animal' (should be 'a'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repeating the same basic connectors. The current range is sufficient to communicate your meaning, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use some complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('in zoo' instead of 'in a zoo' or 'in zoos') and subject-verb agreement ('what diseases is affecting them'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor issues with spacing before commas. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and pluralisation will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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