Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-03

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)

I agree that animals should no longer be kept in zoos and zoos should be closed. We need to realize that naturally animals are not designed to be caged. I believe it messes with their natural instincts and can even put them in a depressive state. While it can be very exciting to see animals up close it can also be dangerous since the animals can bite or scaratch if you get close to a cage or enclosure. On the other hand, It can be dangerous fot the animals as well, this is because some people tend to throw things like plastic bottles or stones to get the attention of the animals.

Personally i have seen people throw pebbles at lions at a zoo near where i live, i have also scene people shouting at them when they are clearly trying to sleep or are tired. The reason for this tiredness is because this weather is not natural for them and they are not provied the necessary equipment to cater to their needs and bodies. The animals are sweaty, thirsty and low on energy which does not excite the crowd, which makes them throw things and scream at them. Even if some zoos provide good shelter for them, they are still forced to stay in a restricted area which God never designed them for.

So in conclusion, zoos are hurting are animals both mentally and physically and should therefore be closed and animals should be set free in their natural habitats

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your response addresses all parts of the task by clearly stating your agreement with the prompt and presenting relevant arguments throughout the essay. You establish your position right away in the opening sentence by writing, 'I agree that animals should no longer be kept in zoos and zoos should be closed.' You then provide relevant ideas to support this view, such as the psychological impact on animals and the dangers posed by visitors throwing objects like plastic bottles and stones. However, some of these ideas are developed more fully than others. While your point about visitors harassing the animals is extended with a personal anecdote about seeing people throw pebbles at lions, other arguments remain slightly under-developed or rely on general assertions, such as the claim that weather in zoos is unnatural or that animals lack necessary equipment. To reach a higher band level, all main ideas would need to be fully elaborated with more depth and precise reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

Your essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance maintained from the introduction through to the conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices to connect your thoughts, such as 'While it can be very exciting', 'On the other hand', and 'So in conclusion', which helps guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used to separate your introduction, body points, and conclusion, providing a logical framework for your ideas. However, cohesion is at times a bit mechanical or repetitive, and referencing can occasionally feel unclear, such as pronoun use referring back to previous nouns. Progression between sentences could also be smoother to ensure a more seamless flow of information. To improve further, you should aim to integrate a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that every transition links your ideas seamlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, which allows you to communicate your main points about animal welfare and zoo conditions effectively. Throughout the text, you attempt some less common vocabulary and descriptive phrases, such as 'natural instincts', 'depressive state', and 'restricted area'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'scaratch' instead of 'scratch', 'fot' instead of 'for', 'provied' instead of 'provided', 'scene' instead of 'seen', and the grammatical slip 'are animals' instead of 'our animals' in the conclusion. These inaccuracies show an emerging command of vocabulary rather than full control. To achieve a higher score, you need to expand your range of less common lexical items, use collocation more precisely, and eliminate spelling errors by carefully proofreading your work.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, allowing you to express various conditions and opinions. You successfully construct complex sentences using subordinating clauses, such as 'Even if some zoos provide good shelter for them, they are still forced to stay in a restricted area...' However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the response, such as missing commas in introductory clauses and compound sentences, minor punctuation issues with lowercase letters like 'i', and occasional awkward phrasing in sentence structures. These errors rarely impede communication, meaning the reader can still easily understand your core message. To progress to a higher band, you should aim to increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences, ensure greater accuracy in punctuation, and exercise tighter control over grammatical patterns.

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

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