Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-13

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 5.0)

Zoos are a place where we can visit and witness the presence of rare and a wide variety of animals from all around the world.

However zoos also keep animals in artificial environments that impacts there natural instincts. According to my perspective no creature should be kept in a trapped atmosphere. Thus if we are talking about freedom animals should be freed from the zoos and zoos should be closed.

Whereas there are some animals that are endangered or vulnerable species, and if they are kept in the outside world their lives would be in danger. These animals must kept in a safe environment where they can survive and thrive.

There are certain examples of animals that are too old to survive and hunt in their natural habitat when bought to the zoos and given proper care and safe environment, their survival became much more easier.

In conclusion my view point is the zoos that are exploiting animals by mistreating them for benefits must be shut down immediately. However the zoos that help in protecting and the sustainance of vulnerable and endangered species of animals should be monitored carefully and if needed should be given support from the government too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response presents a somewhat contradictory position on whether zoos should be closed. Initially, the writer agrees that animals should be freed from zoos, stating that 'no creature should be kept in a trapped atmosphere.' However, in the conclusion, the writer shifts stance, arguing that only exploitative zoos should be closed while protective zoos should be kept open with government support. This means the position is not fully clear and consistent throughout the essay. Furthermore, the length requirement has NOT been met: the response contains only 200 words, falling 50 words short of the 250-word minimum. This lack of sufficient length prevents full development of ideas, keeping the task achievement score at a lower band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into five short paragraphs, providing a basic structural framework. However, the logical progression is disrupted by the contradictory arguments presented between the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, such as 'Whereas' used inappropriately at the beginning of the third paragraph to introduce a contrasting point, and 'Thus' which introduces a consequence rather than a structured conclusion. Paragraphing is attempted, but individual paragraphs are underdeveloped due to the overall brevity of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common and topic-specific items such as 'endangered or vulnerable species', 'natural habitat', and 'exploiting animals'. However, there are noticeable word choice and preposition errors, such as 'impacts there natural instincts' (their), 'trapped atmosphere', and 'sustainance' (sustenance). There are also spelling errors like 'bought' instead of 'brought'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reflect a limited and occasionally inaccurate lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several punctuation and agreement errors, including comma splices and missing commas, as well as verb tense issues like 'must kept' instead of 'must be kept' and 'survival became much more easier' (easier is an adjective, so 'much easier' is required without 'more'). Complex structures frequently contain errors, placing this performance firmly in the Band 5 category.

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

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