Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-14

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)

There was a time when school trips were arranged to visit zoos.Recently, it has been seen a decline in this trend as fewer animals are kept in zoos, which I beleive is not a good decision. In the upcoming paragraphs, reasons will be discussed why zoos should not be closed.

Firstly, like humans, animals do have their rights, and they can enjoy their rights freely when they are allowed to live in large spaces such as zoos.

Secondly, there is a trend of keeping animals at home, which is why some people talk about closing zoos. However, they actually forget that all animals cannot be kept at homes. For instance, it is not safe to keep tigers at homes as they are not the pet animals. Also, they can cause harm to humans. Moreover, keeping dangerous animals at homes is tantamount to breaking domestic laws in many countries. Resultantly, there must be zoos where animals can be kept.

Thirdly, animals need proper vaccinations after specific period,which cannot be done at anyplace except zoos or vetenary hospitals.

Lastly, it is safe to keep animals at zoos;otherwise, they can become the cause of spreading diseases among humans. Covid-19 spread through monkey is a case in point. Hence, there is nothing wrong in saying that zoos must not be closed, instead more spaces should be reserved for animals where they can bread instead of becoming extinct.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student presents a clear position on the topic, stating that zoos should not be closed. The essay attempts to address the prompt through several arguments, such as animal rights, the impracticality of keeping wild animals at home, veterinary care, and disease prevention. However, the response falls short of the official length requirement of 250 words, containing only 233 words. This negative constraint directly affects task achievement, leaving some arguments underdeveloped and brief. For instance, the point regarding animal rights is introduced but lacks sufficient extension or specific examples. Furthermore, there are minor typos and logical leaps, such as the claim that animals enjoy rights freely in large spaces like zoos. Because the word count requirement was not met and ideas lack full development, this criterion is capped at a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates some overall organization with a clear introduction, body paragraphs utilizing transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Moreover', and a concluding sentence. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the introduction is overly condensed, and the body paragraphs are structured mechanically. Cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive or inappropriately used, as seen with 'Resultantly' and 'Also, they can cause harm'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'which I beleive is not a good decision' where the antecedent or connection to the prompt is slightly loose. Progression is generally discernible from one point to the next, but the lack of a sophisticated logical flow and the mechanical application of transition words keep this criterion firmly at a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'tantamount to breaking domestic laws', 'case in point', and 'becoming extinct'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'beleive' instead of believe, 'pet animals' instead of pets, 'vetenary' instead of veterinary, and 'bread' instead of breed. Collocation is occasionally unnatural, such as 'animals need proper vaccinations after specific period'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reflect a lack of precision and control over less common lexical items, aligning with the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'animals do have their rights, and they can enjoy their rights freely when they are allowed to live in large spaces such as zoos.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes, including missing articles ('at homes' instead of at home), incorrect prepositions ('at anyplace'), and missing commas before dependent clauses ('period,which'). There is also a tense and phrasing awkwardness in 'it has been seen a decline in this trend'. Although the meaning is generally clear despite these recurring errors, the control over complex structures is inconsistent, justifying a Band 5.5 score.

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

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