Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-18

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 today's time, it is often argued that animals should have freedom like humans and should not be keep captivated in zoos. and zoos should be closed. In my view, I disagree with this statement because if zoos closes than it create numerous disadvantages not only for humans but also animals. The essay will anticipate with all the facts and arguments.

In this paragraph, I will provides some facts regarding my statement. Firstly, zoos are made for the safety of animals and to protect them from becoming extinct. To elaborate, many species of the wildlife are in a danger and in the verge of extinction. Therefore, governments and many organization creates zoos to protect the animal species from disaster , human hunting and other natural calamites and give them necessary medicine and regular checkups to keep them fit and healthy.

Moreover, zoos often used as an educational visits for schools and colleges students to know more about the wildlife and their potential threat of extinction. Furthermore, scientist and doctors prefer zoos to do research and study about the animals and it helps them to invent vaccines for the diseases responsible for killing an animals. Therefore, zoos are important and beneficial for animals.

Conversely, animals like tigers, lions, bear sometimes forget their great skill like hunting while they are captivated. Apart from that in zoos animals have small places to roam around and they cannot have freedom to go anywhere which results in aggressiveness and loneliness in animals. However, higher authorities are making the zoos places more wider for animals to feel like they are in forest.

In closing, I pen down by saying that zoos have some negative points but positive points can outweigh it . Moreover, Zoos have numerous benefits for animals living over there.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against closing zoos. The ideas are relevant and generally developed, such as the role of zoos in conservation and education. However, the development is somewhat superficial; for instance, the point about research could be expanded with more specific examples of how vaccines are developed. While the position is consistent, the conclusion is a bit repetitive and lacks a strong summary of the main points. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task, but the depth of argumentation is limited, placing it firmly in the Band 6 category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Conversely', though some are used mechanically or incorrectly, such as 'The essay will anticipate with all the facts and arguments', which is an awkward introductory sentence. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the transition between the body paragraphs and the conclusion could be smoother. The overall progression of ideas is logical, but the lack of sophisticated linking devices limits the score to a 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'keep captivated' instead of 'kept in captivity', 'calamites' instead of 'calamities', and 'educational visits' used as a noun phrase to describe a purpose. The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'extinction' and 'conservation', but the overall range is limited. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the errors in word formation (e.g., 'more wider') indicate a need for more careful attention to collocations and word forms to reach a higher band.

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. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('zoos closes', 'organization creates'), incorrect verb forms ('zoos often used'), and awkward phrasing ('In today's time', 'I pen down by saying'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences missing commas or containing unnecessary ones. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and tense consistency is required.

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

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