Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-05

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)

In a world where people think that zoos should definitly be closed , I agree strongly with this because the real place of animals is the forest and deserts not a small cage .

Animals must be in thier natural habitat which is forests and gardens or desert not tiny cages because it barely fit them , that is why a lot of zoo animals dies because they dont feel free as they were or they should espicially the animals who grew up in nature .for instance , the elephant mira from the algerian zoo , they bring mira from the south of africa where it was totally free to a cage of 30m . as a resulat the elephant didnt last more than 2 years and died last summer .

furthermore , the abuse of the animals in zoos where they hit the animals and let them hit eachr other to get tje attention of the visitors so they gain more money , without forgetting the lack of food they give animals and water and even rest . In different zoos turend out they rent animals to circus where they torture them more than zoos do , for instance Rihnoceros they put them in small wood lifiting a leg of all the period of the performance which last somtimes over 6 hours which is insane .

In conclusion , animals are living beings as the persons , so they should be treated well and also with thier totaly freedom.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position agreeing that zoos should be closed. Main ideas are introduced, such as the animals' natural habitat and concerns regarding animal abuse, but some parts are more fully developed than others. For example, the argument regarding the elephant Mira provides a specific instance, whereas other points remain somewhat generalised or lack complete elaboration. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to fully develop all ideas with deeper explanations and more robust supporting arguments rather than relying on brief anecdotes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

There is a coherent overall arrangement with a clear stance maintained throughout the essay. The response is divided into distinct paragraphs covering the introduction, body points, and a conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, seen in transitions like 'furthermore' and run-on phrasings that affect the smooth flow between sentences. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as pronoun usage referring back to nouns. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure tighter logical links between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used provides an adequate range for the task, allowing the writer to communicate basic arguments about animal welfare. There are attempts to use less common items, but this is accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word formation, such as 'definitly', 'tje', 'turend', and 'lifiting'. These errors and occasional awkward collocations cause some difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher score, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire and ensure accurate spelling, precise word forms, and natural collocations suited to academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying on a mix of simple forms and attempts at complex sentences that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles, subject-verb agreement issues ('animals dies'), incorrect prepositions, and comma splices. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate better control over complex sentence patterns, improve grammatical accuracy across verb forms and plurals, and refine punctuation conventions.

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

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