Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-21

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)

The claim ' We no longer need to have animals kept in zoos, so zoos should be closed' is to absolute to say because their are so many animals who are on a urge of getting extent, they need to kept in a safe place to produce their species. I cannot agree on this statement due to several reasons which are discussed further.

The animals are also one of the factor of our food chain, if we as a society destroy zoos and their native places many animals will start getting dead and our food cycle will be disturbed. Moreover, zoos are tourist place for most of the family and major number of visitors are mostly with their kids, so by visiting zoo many children can get to know about different kind of wild animals and get knowledgeable about extinct and rare species.

Furthermore, if we remove zoos then many wild animals will start to roam in our living cities and start hunting for foods. In addition to that many species of animals and birds are about to be extinct, one of recent example can be Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger): A dog-like marsupial with stripes that lived in Australia and Tasmania, last seen in captivity in the 1930s. This kind of animal can be prevented by keeping them in zoo and by trying to reproduce their species with the remaining tribe. However, government of India has imported many animals from Africa to produce hybrid tigers, lions and many other animals to prevent them from extinction.

To conclude this, zoos are important for our society because animals can be prevented there. Moreover, zoos are not only for animals but many children can learn to protect animals from extinction and can make earth a better place for living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against closing zoos. You provide relevant arguments regarding conservation and education. However, the development of ideas is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the claim that animals would 'roam in our living cities' if zoos closed is a weak, illogical argument that detracts from the strength of your position. Additionally, the example of the Thylacine is slightly confusing, as it is an extinct species that cannot be saved by current zoo practices. To improve, focus on more logical, evidence-based arguments, such as the role of zoos in breeding programs for endangered species, and ensure your examples directly support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition to that', to link your points. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as the transition into the example about the Thylacine. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the conclusion where the summary of your points could be more tightly linked to the preceding paragraphs. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring they are used naturally will help elevate your score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'extinct', 'species', 'captivity', and 'conservation' (implied). However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'urge of getting extent' (verge of extinction), 'produce their species' (reproduce/conserve), and 'tourist place' (tourist attraction). These errors occasionally impede the precision of your argument. To reach a higher band, focus on learning the correct collocations for academic topics and avoid using informal or imprecise phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated, topic-specific terminology would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage, such as 'The claim... is to absolute' (too absolute), 'their are so many' (there are), and 'one of the factor' (one of the factors). These errors are noticeable and sometimes require the reader to re-read to understand the intended meaning. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, pluralization, and the correct use of prepositions. Focusing on accuracy in your complex structures will help you achieve a higher band score.

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

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