Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-02

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 6.0)

Nowadays, although many people consider that zoos are unnecessary, I partly disagree because well maintained zoos can contribute not only to conservation but also to education. This essay provides the proper reasons for my perspective in the following paragraphs.

On the one hand, well maintained zoos can prove beneficial for wildlife conservation. To illustrate, zoos can protect endangered species through controlled breeding programs. Some animals can later be returned to a protected natural environment. For instance, in India, lions were endangered, but the government arranged a breeding program which proves beneficial to protect lions. In addition, zoos are proven helpful for education. In detail, people specially children can learn more about zoos and environment problems. Seeing animals can become children more interested to protecting wildlife and become aware about their lives and problems.

On the other hand, some zoos should be closed because of animal welfare and better alternatives exist. To illustrate, small or unsuitable enclosures can prevent animals to behave naturally. Captivity may cause stress, especially when animals need large territories. Moreover, natural parks can provide a more natural environment, and technology such as documentaries and movies can help visitors to learn about wildlife without keeping animals in captivity. Consequently, some zoos should be closed.

In conclusion, although zoos proves helpful to educate people about wildlife conservation and how it proves beneficial to children and become aware, I partly disagree with this idea because zoos should not necessarily all be closed, but those that fail to provide proper conditions should be shut down or improved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by providing a clear position and supporting it with relevant arguments. Your stance is consistent throughout the essay, and you have balanced the benefits of conservation and education against the drawbacks of animal welfare. The ideas are relevant, though some points, such as the example regarding lions in India, could be more specific or better integrated to fully support the argument. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt, meeting the requirements for a balanced discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You have used cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'Consequently' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words. Referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'endangered species', 'controlled breeding programs', and 'captivity'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'people specially children' (should be 'especially') and 'become children more interested to protecting' (should be 'make children more interested in protecting'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, these occasional errors in collocation and phrasing prevent a higher score. Expanding your range of topic-specific collocations would further enhance your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'zoos proves helpful' (subject-verb agreement) and 'prevent animals to behave' (should be 'prevent animals from behaving'). Additionally, there are issues with prepositions and word forms, such as 'aware about their lives' (should be 'aware of'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb patterns will help improve your accuracy.

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

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