Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-28

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)

it is often argued that the animals should be released and zoos should be shutdown. While some people may agree with this viewpoint, I completely disagree with this statement because the animals if released will unable to survive in jungle and it is one of the significant place for children to learn about animals. This essay will explain the reasons behind my opinion.

The primary reason behind why I disagree with this statement is that the animals are unable to confront their competitors in forest. This is because in zoos they are kept separately from each other and gets depend on the management of the zoo for food and shelter. Thus, they forget the life of jungle to hunt and make their own shelter. They are weak in front of the wild animals in jungle an act as their prey. Saving them will be a significant impact on wild life and humanity.

Another important reason for my opinion is that students are often taken to zoo for experiencing live animals. When there will be no zoos in our society will ultimately result in lacking of knowledge about animals will seen in students and youth. Moreover, the species of animals which are on the way to extinct should be taken care of to increase their population, as well they kept in zoos so that they don't get hunted by another animals or die from severe health conditions. As a result it is evident that zoos are residence of practical knowledge of animals for students as well as the shelter for rare animals.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that animals especially rare species of animals should be kept in zoos. This is because students cannot visit jungle to experience them or have sight of live animals. Although there

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against closing zoos. The ideas are relevant, focusing on animal welfare and educational benefits. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument about animals being unable to survive in the wild is repetitive, and the point about 'rare species' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples. The conclusion is incomplete, as the final sentence cuts off abruptly. While the position is consistent, the depth of argumentation needs to be more robust to reach higher bands. The response covers the main requirements but lacks the detailed extension of ideas expected at higher levels.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'The primary reason behind why I disagree' and 'As a result it is evident that'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the abrupt ending of the final paragraph negatively impacts the overall flow and logical progression of the text. Better use of linking words and more sophisticated transitions would improve the coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at using less common vocabulary, such as 'confront their competitors' and 'severe health conditions'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'residence of practical knowledge' instead of 'source of practical knowledge' and 'on the way to extinct' instead of 'on the verge of extinction'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of the argument and indicate a need for more natural phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'the animals if released will unable to survive' (missing 'be'), 'gets depend on' (incorrect verb form), and 'they kept in zoos' (missing auxiliary verb). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms, which keeps the score in the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

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

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