Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-15

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)

Zoo is a scared place of animals to live . There are alot of animals who are dangerous and we cannot keep them in a households . Many people have a hobby of adopting animals of their types . While some animals got extinct from planet due to some reasons such as climate change , floods or killed by humans .

I disagree with this statement that we do not need a zoo to keep animals . Zoo should not be closed because there are some dangerous animals . For instance , animals like Lions , Snakes , Tigers , we can't keep them in our home . The main reason , they can eat or hurt human beings . But some animals like cats and dogs , we can keep them but there are some stray animals that can cause diseases if they bite human beings .

For example : the disease such as rabies that is most common found in such stray animals can spread easily if they bite a person.

We can make a shelter for stray animals and zoo for dangerous animals so they cannot harm any human beings . While to protect animals , better to give them a vaccinations to keep them alive and to be placed them in a zoo so that nature get balance.

In conclusion , Zoo should be a place for dangerous animals to keep them alive and protect the human beings from their harm . Stray animals should be placed in a safe shelter .

AI examiner evaluation

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 limited. The argument relies heavily on the premise that zoos are necessary to house dangerous animals, which is a narrow interpretation of the role of modern zoos (e.g., conservation, education, and research are ignored). The points regarding stray animals and rabies are somewhat tangential to the core debate about zoos. To improve, you should broaden your arguments to include the educational and scientific benefits of zoos, providing more depth and supporting evidence for your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is basic and occasionally repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'some' and 'there are'. Transitions between sentences are often mechanical, and the link between the paragraph about stray animals and the main topic of zoos is weak. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'scared place of animals' (likely meant 'sacred' or 'safe') and 'adopting animals of their types'. The use of 'vaccinations' and 'nature get balance' is slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated academic vocabulary. Avoid repeating simple words and try to incorporate more precise terminology related to animal welfare and environmental science.

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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Zoo should be'), article usage (e.g., 'the disease such as rabies'), and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'to be placed them in a zoo'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and proofreading for common errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.