Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-19

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 commonly aruged by some people that keeping animals in capitivity is no longer necessary and that all zoos should be premanently closed. I largely disagree with this opinion because modern zoos play a vital role in species conversation and education, although I acknowledge that poorly maintained facilities should be shut down.

On the one hand, critics of zoos argue that holding animals in confined spaces is unethical. In the past, many traditional zoos prioritized human entertainment over the animal welfare, forcing creatures to live in small cages far removed from their natural habbits. Today, with high defination documenteries and virtual reality experiences, people can easily learn about the species and their wildlife without compromising animals rights. Therefore, opponents believe that keeping animals locked up for public amusement is unnecessary and cruel.

On the other hand, contempory zoos serves functions that extend far beyond mere entertainment. Firstly, the play is crucial role in conserving endangered species through breeding programs. Many animals such as tiger and leopard were served from the total extinction due to capative breeding initiatives befoire being reintroduced into the wild. Secondly, zoos provide researchers with unique opportunities to study animals and their behaviour and disease control, generating knowledge that directly aids wildlife preservation efforts in nature reserves.

Furthermore, direct contact with living animals fosters empathy and environmental awarness among the public, especially young children. Seeing an animal in person creates memorable emotional connection that digital media can not replicate. Therefore, future generation to support environmental conservation.

In conclusion, while outdated and inhuman zoos should be certainly be abolished, well regualated modern zoos are essential for conservation, scientific research, and public education. Thus, rather than closing all zoos effort should be focused on transforming them into safe environment for wildlife.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The candidate addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position throughout the essay. The introduction establishes a largely disagree stance, which is maintained in the body paragraphs. Key ideas, such as conservation, scientific research, and education, are introduced and supported with relevant examples like breeding programs. However, some arguments suffer from minor developmental gaps or over-generalizations, such as the incomplete sentence structure in the fourth paragraph ('Therefore, future generation to support environmental conservation.'). Despite this minor lapse, the core requirements of the task are adequately met, and the overall position is logically defended, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as opposing views in the second paragraph and supporting arguments in the third and fourth paragraphs. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, utilizing transition markers like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, as seen with minor awkwardness in linking phrases. Paragraphing and logical flow remain clear enough to ensure the reader can follow the argument without confusion, matching the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The candidate displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'capitivity', 'species conversation' (intended as conservation), 'contempory', and 'environmental awarness'. There are, however, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'aruged', 'premanently', 'habbits', 'high defination', 'documenteries', 'tiger' (tigers), 'capative', 'befoire', and 'regualated'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a lack of precision and control over less common lexical items, keeping the vocabulary score at a Band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to use varied structures. Examples of complex sentences include conditional-like concessions and relative clauses. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and mechanics, such as spelling typos and an incomplete or ungrammatical clause in the fourth paragraph ('Therefore, future generation to support environmental conservation.'). Other minor issues include subject-verb agreement errors ('contempory zoos serves') and article omissions. While these errors occur regularly, they rarely impede overall communication, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category for grammar.

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